


Queens and Toms

by Miss_Lv



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: A Giant Fic of Cute, Cat Ears, Cat/Human Hybrids, Courting Rituals, Dating, Drama & Romance, Drunken Shenanigans, Drunkenness, Feline Features, First Time, Fluff and Humor, Heat Drunk, Heat Sex, Interested Newt, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Misunderstandings, Mpreg, Original Percival Graves is Bad at Feelings, Original Percival Graves is a Softie, Percivals Family, Protective Theseus, Queens and Toms, Slow Burn, Smitten percival, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy, Virgin Newt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 02:22:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15109826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Lv/pseuds/Miss_Lv
Summary: “It’s fine. Newt has…” Theseus looked unhappy. “Has decided that he’ll see Percival for daily visits per traditional courting.”Percival’s feline ears swivelled up, feeling something delightful pour over the shame in him.“Newt agreed to court?”“Despite all this nonsense, he has,” Theseus grumbled.





	Queens and Toms

**Author's Note:**

> Have some kitty Newt and Percival attempting to court and all the drama. 
> 
> All of it. 
> 
> This is a feel good, light fic more than anything, so enjoy that. I wrote this for my darling  
> [Mamin-the-troll](http://mamin-the-troll.tumblr.com/)  
> who makes the cutest gramander fanart hands down. Go love on herrrrrrrrrrr. <3
> 
> I've read through a few times but I might have messed up tenses and world building so if you spot anything, let me know!
> 
> I feel like it should be clear but in case it's not queen=omega and tom=alpha.

 

Percival had grown up listening to the faults of many tom males and how to be better than them. His father often rolling his eyes behind Percival’s mother as she lectured them to be good kittens, to grow up and be good toms as well.

“There might be far more queens than there are toms in this world, but this is no excuse to run around breaking hearts, understood?”

Percival and his littermates, his brothers, all nodded their little heads obediently.

Later their father explained it for them, their mama sometimes not being clear enough.

“Queens will want to be with you one day and one day they won’t be gross, you might even like them,” he teased and Percival’s youngest born brother wrinkled his nose in disbelief.

“But you can’t say you will stay with them if you don’t truly plan to stay with them, only lesser toms act like that. Lying is wrong.”

Percival and his brothers all knew that ‘lesser toms’ was their father’s term for the worst sort of being, something beyond ‘misbehaved’ and ‘riled up’.

Lesser toms.

 

Eventually, Percival grew up and learned about the appeal of queens. Learned how good they could smell and how delicious they tasted. He learned about sex and that no one else would ever feel as good as a primed queen. Percival learned a great deal about what his parents had warned him of and at the end of his youth he was grateful to have listened. To have managed to get through adolescence without breaking hearts or turning into a cad.  

Instead, he was a man with a reputation but not a callous one. Percival was not interested in marrying immediately but not against the company of a queen from time to time. He dated lightly and had bedmates who always understood he was with them for bed sport and nothing deeper. Percival with years learned to make sure the queens he slept with was truly fine with this arrangement and so no hurt hearts were left when they parted.

Eventually, he would marry, but he was in no great rush.

“I wish they would close our streets,” Helen commented and Percival glanced up, pulled from his idle thoughts. There was a young no maj couple on the street, clearly lost. The magic of the wizarding street glamoured them so they only saw a normal crowd. But they stood out very clearly, no secondary feline ears or swinging tail behind them. Utterly human, utterly mundane without any magic in them. It looked wrong, to see a person without feline ears or tail.

“MACUSA does what it can,” Percival replied easily, a pull in his chest tugging in discomfort. No maj were dangerous and Percival believed it was best to keep distance but they weren’t cockroaches. He could see wizards and witches, ears swinging low in distaste and tails puffing in irritation. Eventually, someone came and led the no maj back to the main streets and pointed them along their way.

“They’re dangerous, they belong in cages,” Helen insisted and Percival felt his desire for her fade at such a callous and cruel statement.

“No maj out number the magic born by tens of thousands, we wouldn’t have cities without them, much less a functioning society.” Percival agreed in secrecy and being careful less the magical born be hunted down and slaughtered once more but he did hope one day that no maj would be above such viciousness.

Helen frowned at him now and Percival knew their chances for an evening together had vanished.

But that had been all he was seeking from her and he had been clear about it as well.

Percival didn’t lead queens on about his intentions. He never felt any pull to mate and settle down to sire kittens, so he never did. Instead, he spent his time with queens who were likewise interested in brief relationships.

 

Of his brothers, Lamorak, Bedivere, Tristan, and Kay, only one had sired kittens. Kay had gotten caught up with a queen who wanted more and foolishly spent her heat with her. Young idiot thought she might not catch with kittens and then had to shamefacedly tell their parents when she began to show.

“It felt so good,” Kay sighed years after, “Like nothing else before or after it. Heat sex is amazing.”

“And it comes with the price of a litter, how much do you pay that queen each month to raise your kittens?” Bedivere snorted. They were gathered together in his apartment sharing drinks for an evening. Tristan had gone into politics and Percival was a newly appointed Director of Security and neither could afford to drink in public and be caught saying anything unpopular.

A night in was a break for them.

“I still don’t understand how you managed to get away with not marrying her. Mom was in fits.” Lamorak recalled.

“We would have spent our lives hissing at each other,” Kay shrugged. Percival suspected it was true and likely the reason their mother had stopped their father from forcing Kay to marry the queen.

“Besides, she wouldn’t have liked when Evelyn came around.”

Kay huffed out and glared at Lamorak as he smirked back. A year after he had sired kittens with Marie, Kay had fallen into bed with the gorgeous Evelyn who had ended up pregnant as well. Kay had again been lured into sharing a heat and once more, had kittens to help raise. Evelyn was far more mean-spirited that Marie. She had intentionally gotten pregnant in order to have an easy life for herself, raising the kittens of a powerful family name. Sure enough, their parents forced Kay to claim his second litter and also support them. He was in business and worked his tail off to have wealth after sending two payments out each month.

“They are cute,” Percival offered to save his sibling and the brothers all agreed. Their nieces and nephews were all very adorable.

“And for how mad she was about them, mom adores them all. Visits them more than me it feels some days.” Kay added. For his failings to actually marry or be respectable, Kay was a good father, his younger litter lived with him as their mother travelled as she pleased. Marie was more of a mother but also made sure the kittens visited weekly and longer in the summer months. She had married and had another litter with her mate but loved all her children equally. Honestly, Percival privately thought Kay would have done well to marry her, she was the right sort.  

“Now she asks when the rest of us will pick a mate and sire some litters, last week she was introducing me to some friend’s young queens,” Lamorak grumbled.

“She wants more kittens than she can count,” Tristan offered. “Her friends all have dozens and dozens of grand kittens and she only had eleven.”

“You couldn’t even give her a dozen,” Belvidere pestered Kay and they all broke into laughter as the brother was teased mercilessly.   

 

Afterwards, Percival thought on the conversation and supposed he was beginning to feel that pull a tiny bit. The urge to find a mate and settle down, try for some kittens. At thirty, he was old not to be married, they all were, and their mother lamented over it often.

“Five toms, five sons, and not a single one married properly, I’ll die the only queen in this family. My grandchildren will have to grow up and keep me company,” his mother sighed.

“Do you all do this to torment me?”

Percival chuckled, wrapping an arm around his mother and kissing her affectionately. She scowled at him still but her feline ears eased up and her tail lowered a bit, less railed. It was a warm autumn day and they were walking out in the park leisurely.

“You once warned us not to rush and we listened,” he teased and she fitted him with a dark look that still made his feline ears twitch.

“But, give it time, I’ve been looking myself. Tristian is courting a nice queen though he doesn’t want anyone to know until their ready for the public eye, until he’s ready himself. Bedivere will eventually admit he’s in love with his secretary and marry her.”

His mother hummed in agreement and looked a bit cheered. Percival has always been her little spy, giving her information on his siblings. None of his brothers had ever realized it was him either, even after decades of their mother knowing things she shouldn’t.

“That’s true I suppose, a few more years. Have you met anyone yet?”

Percival huffed out now, tail flicking in annoyance.

“It’s hard to find someone honest. It seems foolish to complain now but I should have dated more seriously when I was younger. Now I’ve been told I’m a ‘catch’ as the Director and the eldest Graves.”

His mother chuckled and hooked her arm with his lightly in comfort.

“The right queen might not be easy to find but you’ll know when you meet them,” she reassured him. “Now be a dear and help me plot reasons to invite Bedivere’s secretary to lunch.”

 

Percival didn’t obsess but he did tuck the idea away without forgetting it. He might have been exaggerating when he told his mother he was seeking a mate but it couldn’t hurt to make a few attempts to please her. The week was slated with international visits but once that was done with, Percival would take some queens on proper dates. Let photos be taken of them and comments made on the idea of their pairing, test the waters so to speak. Percival has always supposed his mate would be chosen with politics in mind. Tristan was the same after the loss of his first wife years ago. Tristian never seemed to completely get over it but Percival knew he would eventually marry again for politics. He truly was seeing a young queen and seemed content with him although he was more reserved this time around.

Perhaps that was what Percival needed to settle for. A realistic sort of relationship. Someone level headed and able to stand at his side in public and be loyal in their private lives, perhaps that was all he could hope for.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Percival was pulled out of his thoughts but a British queen walking into his office. By the way he was blinking and look around, the lovely thing hadn’t expected an office and was likely lost.

“Hello, how may I help you?” Percival offered, fighting a purr in his tone, lest he be utterly obvious. But the queen was absolutely gorgeous, all messy hair and wide pretty eyes, lovely lips and a tail flicking in curiosity despite his shy looks.

“So sorry, I’m a little turned around I fear,” the queen admitted, looking back out the hall, ear twitching.

“From the British representatives I assume?” Standing up, Percival offered an easy smile as he came around to the other man. The queen peered at him, curious but wary now. So Percival kept himself civil and offered a hand in greeting. After a moment the queen seemed to recall his manners and hurried to take the hand and shake lightly.

“I’m Newt, pleased to meet y-you, sir.”

“Percival Graves,” he offered, leaving off his official title as well. Percival was willing to bet almost anything this was a low-level intern or note taker, banned from a high clearance meeting.

“I am with the representatives; I was just waiting you see. An official meeting is happening and I wasn’t allowed in. I only walked a little bit down the hallway and got all turned around.”

“That’s fine, MACUSA can be a maze on a good day. The meeting will run for a few hours at least?”

Newt nodded, blinking at Percival and seeming to look for his intentions. So he offered a charming smile to put the young queen at ease.

“Would you like to go get some lunch? I know a few great spots,” he suggested.

“I-I’m not sure,” he hesitated and Percival chuckled.

“I assure you, I’m asking in the hopes of making new friends and improving out countries friendships and nothing callous or underhanded. I can ask others to come as well?”

Newt seemed to consider it a moment before finally nodding.

“No others need, I’ll go. I should try and make friends here, you’re right.” Newt’s smile was such a gentle thing that Percival felt any lustful intentions in him fade back a bit. Clearly this was a meek queen and Percival wasn’t out to upset the poor thing.

So he took Newt to a simple café but one with the better food he knew of in the area. It was steady but not overcrowded and a smaller place so it felt intimate but without romantic overtones. More cheery than anything, overlooking a park that Newt seemed to brighten at seeing.

Slowly the queen began to relax when Percival didn’t press him, asking easy questions about living in Britain and his experiences in America so far. With patience and time, the queen’s feline ears perked up into a relaxed state and Percival felt a well of satisfaction.   

The queen truly was a shy thing, head ducked down and answering questions softly, avoiding Percival gaze. It wasn’t some feigned innocent thing either, the queen truly was that timid.

But as they talked and shared stories, it became clear that while he might seem fragile, the queen was far from it.

“So Thee thinks I should settle but I do love travelling. I’ve met so many interesting creatures.”

“Like dragons,” Percival huffed, Newt had said earlier he had met actual dragons.

“Yes, many of them. I worked with them during the war you see and after that, I helped place them all in sanctuaries.”

“You participated in the war?” Percival hadn’t expected that. Many toms had gone to fight but most queens stayed home, it was a double standard, a bit how no maj treated women. But it was thought queens belonged at home minding the kittens.

“I did. My brother went and I followed him. I had to pretend to be a tom because of silly rules about queens, but I had to go. My mum went too, dressed like a tom.”

Percival blinked, trying to imagine queens dressing like toms, hiding their scents and trying to act more aggressive and tom like.

“The war affected our home and we were worried, it wasn’t right that the magical were told to stay behind. And then for them to try and say toms could go and not queens, so we went. Thee was all in a bother about it when he found out but he got over it.”

“I can imagine.”

Newt glanced up at Percival curiously.  

“It was hard to go to the war, knowing my brothers and father were there, if my mother had been with us, I could have lost everything. It was a comfort some nights, to know she was home safe.”

“But that’s not really fair to her. You mother should have the right to choose, shouldn’t she? Imagine what it was like for her, her whole family gone and her at home waiting to hear of them. I just couldn’t stand it, the waiting for the post each week, looking for the owl that would bring my brother’s letters. Looking on the dead list to see names I knew and relieved Theseus wasn’t on it.”

Newt looked bothered now, a spoon paused at his lips with a bit of cream form dessert on it.

“It was horrid. I preferred being in the fighting, dealing with that aftermath and knowing I was out doing all I could.”

“I see your point,” Percival gave him. “But my mother wouldn’t have been suited for war, she’s not dueller or healer.”

“People might surprise you,” Newt offered in reply but seemed to back off a bit, sitting back. “Still, if it was her choice then that’s all that should matter.”

“I can’t fault that. If she had wanted to go she should have been able too.”

Newt smiled at that, ears peeking cutely as he met Percival’s gaze once more. Such pretty eyes that also had a vigour to them, unexpected with the meekness of the queen. But then first impressions could be misleading.

“So you travel the world wrangling dragons?”

“Studying,” Newt corrected. “I research magical creatures in the hopes to enlighten people about them one day, to help them be seen for more than just something dangerous and to be killed.”

“You seem passionate about your work.”

Newt went a touch pink but nodded his head in agreement.

“I’ve always thought it was important to be investing your work, I spent years doing paperwork for the Ministry and found it a bit dull. I was excited for the chance to work with creatures. Is it the same for you? Working in MACUSA?”

Percival considered it a moment, taking a bite of his own dessert.

“It is. I’ve moved up from groundwork and I do miss it sometimes. Being an auror was a dream and I’m glad to work to help make the job easier for all aurors,” he paused.

“But you miss being one?” Newt asked, resting his chin on his palm as he peered at Percival knowingly. “You miss the chase and feeling of a case solved and the bad guy captured?”

“Yes,” Percival agreed, a bit surprised with the accurate observation. He had always thought he hid the restlessness well.

“Hmmm, my brother is the same. He was an auror for years and now he works to higher in the Ministry and misses it.”

“We have much in common then.”

“He says he would return to it in a heartbeat if he didn’t know how beneficial it was to have a proper auror representing them in the offices.”

“He understands,” Percival approved.

“I don’t completely, why not go back and let someone else also well suited take the position? But then I never did well sitting at a desk.”

Percival offered Newt a smile, genuinely sad to notice the time and realize they needed to return.

Not that he was a bit more open, Newt was a delight, sly wit and dry humour. It was also clear he was used to the life or an auror via his brother. Some civilians were very nervous around aurors as if Percival might discover they jaywalked ten years ago and bust them on the spot.

“Will you show me your office again? You had artifacts inside it? I’d like to see them.”

Percival nodded, willing to show the MACUSA owned treasures off a bit to please this queen. Newt was walking more closer to Percival on the way back, shoulders brushing. Percival almost felt as if the queen was flirting a bit, all darting glances and wry smiles.

He had lovely freckles, dotting along his cheeks and their colours were reflected in the hair on his feline ears and tail, golden with copper markings.

“We’re here to help improve relations between our countries, perhaps you and I can help that along?”

That was certainly a proposition. There was no way this queen wasn’t flirting with Percival and making suggestive remarks. He hadn’t expected it but certainly wasn’t again it. Percival imagined this lovely queen would feel amazing against him. But he was a touch surprised to feel almost… disappointed. He had thought they were becoming friends rather than the queen looking for someone to canoodle with for a bit.   

“I’d be delighted,” Percival agreed, lifting a gentle hand to Newt’s back and guiding him to his office.

Newt entered without hesitation, walking over to the display cases to peer at the relics exhibited.

“Do you pick what stays in your office? Manacles and cuffs must be an intimidation move surely?”

Percival hummed in agreement, the door closing with a click as he came to peer with Newt, standing a bit closer than appropriate. The queen flushed up his neck, going scarlet but not stepping away.

“P-Percival?” Newt asked, voice going meek again as he turned to face Percival, pressed against the case as Percival closed the distance and offered him a soft kiss. A bit of this and then he would send Newt back to the delegation, pleased with his time in America no doubt.

Newt tasted sweet, a bit like the cream he had for dessert. Percival reached and tipped the queen’s chin up a bit so he could deepen the kiss, lips parting invitingly.

Percival wasn’t ready for the sting of claws at all.

He jerked back, face burning, an upward swipe that caught his neck and chin.

“What the hell,” he snapped and glared at Newt. Clawing was a serious action, marking a tom’s face was like calling out his reputation. Percival had never been clawed in his life and he felt a knee-jerk anger at this queen for doing such a thing.

But when he looked at Newt, Percival knew right away he had been wrong. The queen was pressed against the display and looked a mix of anxious and outraged. A hand on his lips as if Percival had dared to kiss him. For his upset, the queen was trembling terribly, showing his fright.

But he had been just making such comments a moment before and hadn’t backed away from Percival when he got close.

Fuck, had he misread.

“You had no right for such a thing, I’m not some q-queen you can just sire kittens with and run off on.” Newt blurted and the entire statement was utterly bizarre. Percival was completely thrown and for once he slipped up even more.

“I wasn’t planning on having kittens with you,” he replied quickly, the sheer affront of his tone a massive insult to the queen. Newt looked genuinely hurt for a second before his face closed off and Percival realized the offence he had just let passed his lips. He hadn’t meant it to sound like that, as if he would be disgusted to sire kittens with Newt. He had been just flabbergasted with that idea that kissing in an office would somehow result in children.

“Listen, I-” Newt jerked to life when Percival tried to disarm the situation, going around Percival with a wary eye and wide gap before hurrying to yank the door open and leave. Newt’s feline ears were pressed to his head in defence and his tail puffed up in anger.

Percival let him go with a curse, knowing he was going to have to fix this immediately. Even a low-level intern could make trouble if he kicked up a fuss. But more than work-related, there had been tears in the queen’s eyes and Percival hadn’t meant to hurt him so.

Pulling out a mirror from his desk, Percival winced at the claw marks on his skin, bright red and irritated, four long lines on his jaw, just enough to be noticeable. His neck could be covered, a quick spell fixing his torn tie and collar. The queen had a wicked swing, to cut through the material so easily. The real issue was the claw marks. Both toms and queens carried a bit of magic behind their claws. The marks were superficial but they couldn’t be hidden, no magic or healing potion would make them disappear. They were shame markings, that Percival had done something to deserve them. A tom’s claws would have cut wider, anyone would look at them and know a queen had made them, from a close distance as well. The insinuations were clear and as someone in high leadership, they could make his life hard. The marks would fade with time, with how deep the insult and anger of the queen had run. Percival supposed maybe a day at most for whatever he had done to piss Newt off.

But he had a meeting this afternoon, with the British representatives and others from all over the damn world. Percival’s couldn’t show up and stand beside the president with queen marks on his face.

But he didn’t have a damn choice.

Seraphina noticed them immediately and her fury was almost visible, seething around her as she kept a calm face and motioned him to stand at her side. Unable to snarl at him in a public setting.

Percival was both ashamed and irritated himself, to be wronged this way and to have let himself get caught up in a queen’s drama. He just had to get this meeting over with and then cancel the rest of the day so the marks could fade without international accidents.

Of course, Newt was with British delegation.

Percival expected him at the back but he stood front and center beside Theseus Scamander the leader of the representatives and Head Auror of the Ministry. Percival felt something sinking in his stomach when he took in the sibling similarities between Newt and the man. They both had the same golden tabby colours of their feline ears and tail, the same copper hair and bright eyes.  

‘Thee’ Newt had called his older brother.

Fuck.

Newt kept his face calm but distant, eyes downward as introductions were made, an entire room of representatives from wizards all over the world watching it all. Each representative was introduced and both Percival and Seraphina were to shake their hands. He tried to lean in closer to his president and tell her not to start shaking hands but she glared at him before he could speak. Too angered by the claws to listen to in order to avoid the mess just brewing.

Percival knew it by the way Theseus was clearly distracted with worry for his sibling. Glancing at Newt and knowing something was wrong with him.   

“Mr. Scamander,” Seraphina offered and Theseus took her hand politely.

“This is my second, Percival Graves, the Director of the Security of MACUSA.”

The tom glanced a Percival and took his hand as well, eyes falling to the claw marks his chin. They were shaking hands and Percival felt when Theseus grip went tight. His gaze going cold in disdain for a tom marked.

Percival needed to keep his mouth closed.

“A misunderstanding,” he couldn’t stop the words. Percival could not shut himself up. He couldn’t let someone see the claw marks and not explain. He wasn’t some cad, some lesser tom who insulted queens and deserved claw marks. He had worked his whole life not to be that person.

“I think not,” Newt breathed, a soft whisper of a reply under his breath. No one besides Percival, Seraphina and Theseus heard it.

“What?” Theseus asked, voice rising in indignation and drawing attention to them.

“Something to discuss later?” Seraphina cut in with forced politeness but Theseus was locked on his sibling.

“Did you claw him?”

Percival looked at Newt, watching him glance up at him and then away, giving some signal of positive to his sibling. Because Theseus stood tall and stepped in front of his brother, feline ears pinned back and tail lashing.

“What did you do to my brother?” He snarled at Percival.

In a room filled with representatives at a welcoming meeting, the head of the British representatives was calling Percival out. He stared at the tom, as if just looking at him like he was crazy would make the man realize what he was doing, the commotion he was causing.

“I did nothing, as I said, it was a misunderstanding.”

“I will lay down my life right here and now, if you did nothing to deserve those marks. Newt has only clawed three people in his entire life, all of them trying to do grievous and disgusting things to him.”

“Thee,” Newt’s voice was soft, a hand curling around his brother’s arm as he tugged the tom to look at him. Theseus looked utterly enraged, glaring fiercely at Percival as his queen sibling pacified him.

“Remember where you are and who you represent at this moment,” Newt said quietly but the words carried.

It looked so much more worse now.

This gentle queen who had clawed Percival for an unexplained reason but who the Head auror of the Ministry was swearing on his life Percival had deserved. He had basically accused Percival of sexually assaulting his sibling. Now the queen looked so meek and soft, timid and soothing as he reassured his brother and reminded him of his position.

Theseus visibly calmed himself, looking to the other British representatives who watched with alarm and worry, looking to Theseus for guidance on how to react.

“Forgive me,” Theseus announced loudly, looking back to Seraphina. “I don’t feel well and need to be absent from this meeting.”

Just perfect.

A nice large political version of ‘fuck you’ from Theseus to Percival. For Theseus to leave a meeting this important was a hell of a declaration as well.

“Of course,” Seraphina accepted smoothly. “Please accept my invitation to speak later in a more private setting and discuss this issue.”

“That’s ok,” Newt spoke up, taking his brother's hand and comforting him. “This was all a misunderstanding as Mr. Graves suggested. Please, I don’t wish to cause trouble from this.”

“I won’t let someone assault you and get away with it,” Theseus hissed and Newt was pulling his arm, trying to lead him away. Percival could see the tom was on the verge of trying to challenge Percival to duel him right then and there.

“Theseus,” Newt breathed, a soft request in his voice and the tom deflated, nodding once respectfully at Seraphina, glaring at Percival and then letting his brother lead him from the room.

They left and a moment of silence swept over the assembly, people whispering and staring at Percival keenly.

“With all due respect,” another of the British representatives spoke up. He was far more formal as he bowed to Seraphina. “We must follow the lead of Mr. Scamander and give our regrets but will take leave as well.”

Voices rose up again, chatter flying as the entire representation walked out.

A very clear message that they believed Theseus enough to support him publicly.

Great.

 

“What the fuck did you do?” Seraphina snarled as soon as they were alone. She was a calm and stoic woman and the use of a curse showed her fury. Percival watched her pace her office in frustration.

“I screwed up, miss-stepped and accidentally insulted the queen,” Percival admitted. He retold the interaction word for word to her and Seraphina slumped into her chair and rubbed her face wearily, her feline ears flicking in irritation.

“Of all the queens to make moves on,” she sighed at him, her anger fading.

“I know,” he replied tightly, humiliated to be in the situation. He wasn’t some young idiot tom.

“You need to fix this, publically. Immediately.”

“I know.”

“Percival, we cannot afford poor relations with the Ministry, they lead the way. Other countries will follow them quickly. Those representatives need to leave with all of this smoothed over and everyone knowing it.”

“I know,” he gritted a third time.

“I’m sorry,” she offered with a sudden sympathy, looking at him. “I know you’re not this type and that this is all blown out of proportion. You’re a good man, you didn’t deserve that.”

Percival nodded, accepting the reassurance but still feeling the room glaring at him and muttering about whether he attacked that ‘poor queen’ or not.

 

The last thing he expected was to find Tina standing at his office door looking nervous.

“I let them into your office, I know I shouldn’t have, but it looked so bad to have them lurking out in the hallway and I thought you would prefer this,” she rushed to explain and Percival listened to her. It was hard not to snap but his dark mood had nothing to do with her. Tina was young but a good auror, she would go places with mentorship.

“Who exactly?”

“The Scamander brothers.”

 

Tina had the forethought to summon chairs for them and Newt was sitting as Theseus paced the room, tail still lashing angrily.

“-Kittens with me, he said and then I left. That’s all that happened Thee,” Newt was explaining as Percival walked in. Both brothers turning to look at him. Percival reached back and waved Tina into the room as well. The young auror looked startled but having her there would be better. It was obvious that Theseus restrained himself when he noticed her there, he’d be far more vicious if it was just Percival. Anything said would have two people to analyze it afterwards as well.

“This is my fault,” Percival declared and that stopped Theseus Scamander, his mouth snapping closed before he could snarl Percival out no doubt.

“I spend lunch with Newt and misread his signals of interest. When I kissed him I fully believed he wanted me to and when he clawed me I backed off immediately.”

Newt peered up at him, chewing his lip nervously.

“He did, Thee.”

“Mr. Graves isn’t the wrong sort,” Tina piped up, young face looking earnest and sure. “He’s never been that sort or MACUSA wouldn’t have him in such a high position. I fully believe that.”

“He startled me so badly, I just overreacted,” Newt added, glancing at Percival’s chin with a bit of remorse for the marks there. “I suddenly thought of mama and all she said and I panicked a bit.”

So there was more to this, a past tied up in the reaction. Gods, had Percival put the moves on a sexual assault victim or the child of a forced pregnancy or some dark thing?

“I am sorry for that; I should never have acted without checking to make sure you were in agreement with the kiss.”

Newt touched his mouth and flushed and Theseus looked angry all over again.

“It’s just when you said you wanted to ‘personally help improve relations between our countries’, I thought you were flirting.” It was a blow to his pride to admit it but it was better out in the open so everyone knew the full truth. “I made a mistake.”

“Newt doesn’t flirt,” Theseus grumbled, but the rage in him was fading down.

“I do misunderstand situations,” Newt admitted with a shrug. “I thought we were simply being friendly, then you suddenly were so close. Lunch had been nice, I was disappointed you were a tail chaser.”

“I was disheartened when I thought you were flirting as well,” Percival professed. “We did have a good lunch, it was enjoyable to talk to someone about things besides politics.”

“It’s hard to make friends,” Newt sighed.

“It is,” Percival agreed and their eyes met, Newt was unsure but Percival could see he believed Percival that it was a misinterpretation. His feline ears perking up a bit.

“What I said about kittens,” Percival blurted, his tongue moving without permission. “I didn’t mean it personally, that is, I just, I was so shocked you would suggest a kiss would lead to kittens.”   

Newt flushed a bright red again and Tina coughed, reminding Percival she was there and was going to tell people about this, including him being a tongue-tied idiot.

“Newt is pure, he’s not some light tailed queen. He’s waiting until marriage,” Theseus interjected and poor Newt looked mortified.

“I see,” Percival managed to keep a straight face, looking between one angry brother and one embarrassed.

“Thee, apologize to Mr. Graves please, you laid a terrible insult on him.”

Theseus did look a bit contrite of that, but not overly so.

“I won’t apologize for defending my brother, but I will for the misunderstanding. You did deserve the claws for kissing him without permission but I shouldn’t have reacted as I did with everyone watching. I’ll issue an official apology today as well.” The tom lifted his chin a touch as if daring Percival to disagree but he didn’t. The faster they cleared this up the better it would be for Percival’s name and reputation.

“I would invite you and Newt to dinner if you don’t have plans this evening.” Percival offered, hoping to make it very public that they were all fine and on good terms.

Theseus looked doubtful and Newt was watching his sibling for a decision.

“It would be a nice gesture, to be the better tom,” Tina swiftly suggested. “I’m sure Mr. Graves would appreciate the peace gesture.”

“I would,” he made himself say, shoving his pride down as the other tom scrutinized him closely.

“You could make a nice evening of it, see a movie or something, there’s a show on about occamy at the theatre on 4th.” Tina added and Newt’s feline ears perked right up in clear interest.

“Will you come along Ms. Goldstein?” Newt asked, seeming to see her as an ally. It was clear she had been talking to them before Percival had arrived.

And so he ended up taking one of his aurors and the Scamander brothers out to a show and dinner.

 

It wasn’t as bad as Percival worried it might be.

By the evening Theseus had seemed to lose most of his ire at Percival and was civil and even friendly at moments.

Tina was on point all evening, seeming to charm both brothers. Theseus and her trading auror stories and Tina seeming to be just friendly enough without trying to flirt with Newt. They went and saw the documentary on occamy and Newt was bursting by the end, exploding with all the ’misinformation’ and ‘outright nonsense’ the film depicted of a wonderful creature that certainly wasn’t out to hurt anyone. Theseus seemed to believe his sibling over the film and Newt explained things with more clarity, obviously he had encountered and studied the creatures hands-on.  

“Didn’t you have a whole little group of them for a time?” Theseus seemed to recall as they walked out of the theatre.

“Yes, orphans, a shame. Poachers are so horrid. But I hand-raised them and helped them return to the wild thankfully.”

“Hand-raised?” Tina sounded startled but not disbelieving. She was doing so well that Percival just tied to keep his mouth shut and listened to the chatter. It was clear that Tina and Newt were getting on well, talking back and forth with growing comfort.

“Yes, fed them and helped them learn to hunt and be wary of predators.”

“Newt’s rescued tons of creatures, a real mothering instinct,” Theseus explained proudly.

 

Percival followed them all to the restaurant, a brisk walk down lively streets. It was on reservation only but Percival pulled strings and got them a private table. Newt had expressed a liking for Italian at lunch so Percival picked the best one in the city.

Dinner went smoothly enough that Percival felt comfortable enough to join the light conversations, adding his own auror stories and asking questions about creatures. As the evening wore on, it seemed as if everything was fine and this whole mess was cleaned up nicely.

“My necklace, where is my necklace,” a woman a few tables over startled, drawing attention.

Theseus looked over at her a moment and then whipped his head back to Newt in disbelief.

“You didn’t bring him,” he whispered. “Newt, you didn’t bring that pest into a fancy place with all these rich cats showing off fancy rocks.”

Newt looked distinctly guilty.

“Who? What?” Tina asked, whispering as Theseus had and looking so curious, her ears perked forward alertly.

“He was so uneasy at the hotel,” Newt muttered and Theseus gave a sigh.

“Who?” Tina pressed.

“A three-legged niffler,” Theseus muttered into his hands.

“No,” Percival breathed, eyes darting around the room, people seeming to comprehend they were missing jewelry all over. This was a massive mess unfolding, a niffler in a restaurant filled with wealthy patrons.

Percival realized his cufflinks were gone and Tina reached for earrings no longer there.

“Oh hell, this will be rough,” Theseus sighed, Newt looked so shamefaced, feline ears drooped low on his head and eyes downcast sadly.

“There’s a niffler loose!” Someone cried out and the entire restaurant seemed to burst into chaos.

 

Without knowing how, Percival ended up looking for the beast in the aftermath. Actually up on rooftops looking around for a tiny brown creature in the dark. Tina threw herself into the missing case, looking for any tracks or signs of the creature as Theseus cast listening spells to try and hear if anyone near them lost anything. The restaurant was still in an uproar and they had decided to leave rather than admit their guilt. The public would be outraged either way and Percival knew when to fight and when to retreat. They’d find the beast and send the missing jewelry back with an apology and large bit of money tomorrow.

“Will he be ok? Is New York particularly dangerous for creatures?” Newt asked. He looked so miserable, wringing his tail in worry, feline ears downcast.

Percival didn’t want to tell him most would try and kill the creature but Newt seemed to know already.

“We need to find him first,” he found himself offering.

“Will we?”

“Perhaps if we split up, cover more ground. I suppose we could call in some aurors to help, ask them to catch without harming.”

Newt nodded his head quickly, ears peeking in excitement.

“Let’s look around, Hennimore can’t have gone far honestly.”

Percival blinked at that name but they were both distracted by Theseus waving at them.

“There’s chatter by that park that way, shall we go look?”

“Let’s split up, see if we can catch him.” Newt offered up and his brother nodded.

“Me and Newt will go left,” Theseus announced and off they apparated.

Percival and Tina took the right, coming down into an alley and walking along the street scanning for the little beast.

“You really like Newt, huh sir?”

Percival blinked, looking over at Tina. She had worked for him for almost two years now and they got on well. She was a skilled auror and did her job well, even if she got a bit stubborn on some cases. Over the years they had developed an informal friendship, one of the few people he didn’t have to put airs on for.

“I want him and his brother to both be very happy and this whole incident behind me.”

“Yes but Newt, he is a lovely queen isn’t he?”

“Are you certain you’re not the one who likes him so much?”

Tina smiled.

“He’s sweet but he hasn’t been sneaking glances at me all night.”

Percival blinked.

“Has he?”

Tina smirked slyly now and Percival shook his head, fixing her with a look that used to intimidate her.

“He’s very nice,” Percival admitted. “But he has a very protective brother, I’ve already insulted him once, and he’s seeking something long term obviously.”

“And you never will?”

“Stop matchmaking making and more looking for nifflers,” he commanded and his unrepentant auror nodded and made a show of looking around.

“We found him!” Newt called, looked so delighted, feline ears perked up and tail lashing in joy, he was carrying the little pest in his arms like an infant, cuddled close to his chest. He looked charming, so relieved and pleased his creature was found safe and sound.

“I’m just saying,” Tina said, too low for the approaching brothers to hear.

“You haven’t once mentioned about how illegal it is for Newt to have a niffler in the first place, much less the fact it robbed a restaurant blind. No penalties for Newt?”

Percival gave her a glare as she smiled and went to peer at the little creature Newt was holding proudly.

 

“It’s good,” Seraphina announced the next day, peering at pictures of their group in the papers. The story being spun as something light-hearted now, a little drama in courting. Theseus had released an official apology to Percival, explaining that he took such matters very seriously but was mistaken to accuse Percival of something without out knowing the full story.

“This incident with the niffler at some restaurant has bumped you out of the front pages.”

Percival made the irresponsible choice not to mention the cause of that. Theseus had collected all the jewelry and gone to the restaurant and apologized and smoothed everything over somehow. He must have been charming as hell because they didn’t release his name or Newt’s to the papers. Only that the owner returned every last thing missing and was very sorry for the mishap. Percival imagined he had offered them some financial compensation as well.  

“But we need more, people are chatting still. Wondering if its some silly courting thing blown out of proportion. That’s what we want them thinking.”

“I’m not courting someone for gossip,” Percival frowned and his president seeming to be struggling not to roll her eyes at him.

“Yes, because gossip and fact are often the same,” she grumbled as she set the papers down. “The representatives are going to travel America for a month, look around our fine country. You will meet them at least twice a week and be seen with them, to show a budding friendship.”

Percival wanted to protest, it was all ridiculous, the entire thing seeming to run out of control. But there was no doubt that they needed the dire declaration Theseus had given forgotten. The annoying part of his job was playing politics, which was essentially playing nice.

“Fine, I’ll make the arrangements.”

Seraphina raised a brow.

“No arguments? Perhaps the courting rumours were true, do you fancy this British queen? It would look good, to have you marry the Head Auror of the Ministry’s brother.”

“No, I won’t be marrying anyone anytime soon, thank you.”

Percival stood up, dismissing himself as Seraphina watched him go, looking amused.

“Think of the grand wedding we could have,” she snarked. The president was an excellent leader and a calm and poised woman. But they had gone to school together and she had ragged on him then and still did to this day when they were in private.

Percival resisted the urge to give her a dirty look and just left her office, going to make plans to follow the Scamanders and get pictures of them all making nice taken. It wasn’t the worst thing to happen, Percival could have been told to buddy up to far worse queens.  

Newt would be easy to be around, with his bright eyes and shy smiles.

 

As expected of him, Percival met the Scamanders a week later. It was a large official event in Washington that was primarily political. Newt looked bored and awkward in the crowds and Percival was swamped with politicians trying to make nice and introducing their queen daughters to him.

When their eyes met, Percival looked to the open balconies leading to the gardens and Newt’s ears perked as he nodded quickly.

“I’d forgotten how many people attend these sort of events,” Percival greeted Newt with, the queen looking so relieved to be outside and away from the crowds. The gardens were lit and people were walking them, but it was far more quiet outside in the evening air.

“I knew,” Newt sighed. “When I agreed to accompany Thee, I knew it would be like this, but on the days off we go and look for local magical creatures and that’s worth all of this.”

“Have you toured the cities very much on your own?”

Newt shook his head.

“It’s all very official, we see the sights and then attend dinners with important people.”

“Sounds very boring.”

“It is,” Newt agreed before catching himself. “Not that America isn’t lovely I mean.”

Percival grinned. “It’s ok, I would be bored too.”

“How odd, for the Director to be bored with politics.”

“Isn’t it? I never had the head for it. My brother does far better, I focus more on the work side of the job, in terms of security and enforcing laws while helping to develop them.”

Newt nodded, the pair walking down the garden row. He looked charming, in a nice but still casual suit. A blue vest that looked good on him, made is hair and pale skin stand out even more. Percival knew queens who preferred dresses regardless of their gender but the popular thing was suits currently. Flapper dresses and females in close cut trousers.  

As they walked to the far end of the gardens, Percival caught sight of an iron gate leading out into the streets. Normally he would feel that urge to slip away but resist given his position and the expectations but Newt really did look so much happier to be away from the crowd.

“Do you want to slip off?”

Newt blinked, looking to the gate and then back to the party. It was very clear he wanted badly to leave but the hesitation was there as well. Not sure of Percival.

“Newt,” Percival wait until he met his gaze. “I swear to you, I’m not out for anything inappropriate, I just thought perhaps we could walk back to the hotel and I would claim you felt ill so I had to escort you back, we both escape.”

Newt finally nodded after a moment longer watching Percival. He seemed to decide to trust him. Taking out a piece of paper and a little pencil, he wrote a quick message and then folded it and put it back in his pocket.

“Thee and I keep charmed paper to talk, so we know everything is ok.” Newt explained and Percival nodded.

“Wise.”

Percival tries to undo the lock with a bit of magic but is refused, warded powerfully given the people inside.

“Here,” Newt edged closer and reached into his pocket to pull out a leafy little stick.

“Could you help Pickett?”

The creature nodded and Percival watched the highly illegal bowtruckle undo the lock easily. It made him think of Tina’s comments about a soft spot for the queen. Percival glanced at Newt as he smiled pleased and the gate popped open.  

At the very least he should scold him.

Percival couldn’t get the words out.

So they snuck off, walking down the streets in the direction of the hotel. A little café was open and waving people in, a small little Italian place and Newt was lured by the displays of sweets almost immediately.

They stood out, dressed for high society but in a little shop. No one seemed to care thankfully, the waitress charmed by Newt and having them sat down at a little table before they could protest. Their knees bumping as cappuccino was brought out and a menu listing the desserts. Despite himself, Newt’s ears were perked high in interest.

“So how is Hennimore?” Percival asked and Newt looked delighted that he recalled the niffler’s name. They ended up talking about how Newt came to find the poor orphaned creature, leg caught in a horrid trap. It was so clear Newt adored magical creatures and it was easy to let him talk about it, hands waving and ears flicking, tail perking up as he explained the positive aspects of nifflers.

It was darling to watch.

“I’m sorry, am I being annoying? I’m terrible for talking nonstop about creatures I’m told.” Newt looked a touch shy and Percival immediately resented whoever shamed him about his passion.

“Not at all, I’ve never realized how little I know about magical creatures, it’s good for me to learn, we share this world with them after all.”

Newt smiled, nodding his head and turning his attention to his tiramisu.

“This isn’t the hotel,” Theseus announced, leaning in the doorway to frown at them.

Newt shrugged, entirely unrepentant.

“We walked by and everything looked so good,” he explained and Theseus huffed but seemed to accept the reasoning.

In no time at all he had Newt up and heading back, a second dessert in a little to go box in Newt’s hands.

“I’ve got this,” Percival said when Newt began to search his pockets. “You get the next one?” he added when Newt looked unsure. The queen considered and then nodded. Theseus frowning a bit at them both.

“Go on, I should probably head back to the event, see if everything went off without trouble,” Percival sighed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Newt offered and Percival smirked at their shared dislike.

“It’s all part of the job,” he soothed and watched Newt and his brother leave. The queen looking back and offering a little wave of goodbye that Percival returned.

“A right darling, that one. You’re a lucky tom.” the waitress told him with a wink.

Percival didn’t bother to correct her, just nodding and paying for the meal.

 

Their meetings continued the same way, new interactions in new cities. Newt sharing what he had learned of the place and Percival building on it with own knowledge. The found little cafes away from crowds sometimes with Theseus but often he was busy with his own obligations. After the first few times, he seemed to resign himself to the idea of Newt sneaking off with Percival.

“Thee worries but he also knows I can manage myself just fine. I do travel alone often,” Newt explained. They were strolling through china town in San Francisco, Newt ducking in to peer at vendors and ask them fluently what was what. He bought bits of meats and vegetables happily, tucking them away into a blue coat with extension charms.

“It can be hard to find the right foods for some of the creatures in my care,” he explained eyes taking in the next stall, keen and quick to spot what he needed.

“Do you have many?”

“A… fair bit,” Newt replied after a pause, the untruth so utterly clear.

“Hundreds?” Percival asked and Newt huffed, tail puffing in irritation.

“No! Not anymore, only eighty-two and some are tiny as insects so it’s hardly much.”

“Eighty-two? Where do you keep them all?” Percival asked and Newt bit his lip, clamping up on that answer in a suspicious way.

Before Percival could investigate that, Newt caught him off guard, pulling him to a stall to inspect their bread abruptly.

“What?”

“Hush a moment please,” Newt replied shortly, his eyes cutting to the side with a sharp focus. Percival wasn’t some novice auror so he didn’t look obviously, tipping his head to the bread Newt was inspecting.

“Something dangerous?”

“Something very illegal,” Newt answered, leaving the bread and weaving down the stalls quickly. Percival hurried to follow him, near losing Newt in the crowds as he sidestepped people so smoothly.

He caught sight of Newt down the street and looking around a building corner. They were in a magical area so Percival apparated to his side.

“What is it?” He whispered, watching Newt. His entire demeanour had changed. Ears pointed high and alert, tail swaying with the intent of a hunt. His shyness seemed to fade as he frowned at a pair of toms walking down the deserted alleyway.

“They have a demiguise, in that box, I saw it.”

Percival blinked, magical creatures were illegal in America so it was obvious a smuggling operation of some kind.

“We need to call local aurors and have them look into it,” Percival explained as they watched the two men enter the back of a shop. They knocked out a rhythm on a large steel door and it slid open for them.  

Newt nodded his head and then slipped off, completely ignoring Percival and going after the two. Cursing softly he rushed to catch up, Newt drawing his wand and Percival following suit.

Newt knocked the exact same rhythm out and when someone opened the door he was letting a stunning spell loose. With far more skill and cunning than Percival expected from a civilian, the queen was duelling with criminals, disarming them left and right. Percival used his strength to take the majority of the attacks. He called attention to himself as a warehouse of people started firing off spells at them.

“Stay close,” Percival called and Newt immediately disobeyed, hurrying along the side wall to where cages of live creatures were stacked up high.

“Fuck,” Percival snarled, casting a back up spell out the door to find nearby aurors and focusing on taking down as many as he could. They were clumsy in their magic, not used to fighting obviously. This wasn’t some deadly smugglers ring but more of a small-time sort.  

It seemed like a heartbeat and then other aurors were apparating in, helping him. They quickly overpowered and rounded up the criminals. A large supply of illegal dark magic ingredients more than enough to take them all in.

“Magical creatures as well,” Percival added when the auror in charge was listing.

“We found parts, but no live ones,” the tom replied, frowning at Percival a bit. Thankfully they had recognized him as the Director of Security and not some vigilante.

Percival looked over to the cages that had been full and stopped short to find them all very empty. Looking around, he realized Newt was nowhere to be found either.  

It took him hours to make the statement and oversee the arresting and processing of the criminals. It was late by the time he made it back to the hotel and Percival skipped his own room for the Scamander brother’s door.

He knocked and waited.

Theseus opened the door, looking utterly harried.

“I know and you know, don’t bother lying, just let me in.” Percival said simply and the other auror watching him a moment before sighing and opening the door wide in invitation. The room was a nice one, large and spacious to show the representatives the best. Currently, it was covered in live creatures on every single surface. Far too many of them, not even in cages as they wandered about. Newt was at the table, medical kit out as he inspected a rather large and mean looking Acromantula.

“The sheer illegalness of this,” he began and Newt snorted, giving him a sharp look.

“These are living creatures, taken from their homes. Treated like things to be bought and sold, most likely to be butchered for potion ingredients. If I left them there the aurors would have gathered them all as evidence, documented them, and then?”

Percival frowned, looking at Theseus who shrugged and shooed some Doxys over so he could sit on one of the beds.

“Then what do they do?” Newt insisted pointedly.

Percival looked around the room, at least thirty creatures in various states of health wandering about.

“They would destroy them all,” he sighed.

“Kill. When you take a life, it’s called killing,” Newt corrected calmly, voice carrying a steel under it that made Percival’s brows rise.

“You can’t expect me to ignore this,” he tried and Newt sat back, wiping the blood off his hands as the giant spider on the table tested it’s bad leg and then scrambled off and under the bed.

“These creatures deserve to live, to go home. That’s what I do, I save them and I see them returned home if they can be.”

“You can’t keep all of them, it’s illegal. MACUSA doesn’t allow it.”

“Then arrest me,” Newt replied curtly, sitting up and glaring at Percival, meeting his gaze head-on as he walked by, going to the bathroom. Creatures scuttled to follow him and he held the door open until all who wanted were in and then closed it. The shower starting a few moments after.

“Please tell me you understand this,” Percival asked Theseus and he shrugged.

“I got Newt a permit ages ago. Special license to deal with magical creature recovery and rehoming.”

“I can’t just pull permits out of my ass,” Percival growled back nudging some sort of lizard off his shoe as he walked over to the table and sat down in the chair Newt had abandoned. “I can’t ignore this.”

“I know,” Theseus agreed, seeming pleased for some reason.

Percival frowned at him and Theseus smirked. He tapped his wand and cast a listening spell so Newt couldn’t hear them.

“I know you're chasing after Newt for more than just friendship. And now you have to pick, between trying to impress my baby brother and doing your job.”

“You’re not worried about Newt at all? I’m not chasing after him either.”

“You can try to arrest Newt,” Theseus smirked. “Just has every major country has tried at some point. You’ll find that Newt doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

“What do you see happening?” Percival asked.

“You’re a man of the law and your sweet on Newt but you’ve only known him a few weeks. You’ll try to arrest him and he’ll be hurt and this thing between you will die and Newt will vanish and show up at home when I get back.”

“It doesn’t bother you to think of him as a criminal?”

That wiped the smirk of Theseus face.

“Newt’s not a criminal. He’s right and you know it. These beasts shouldn’t have to die because we’re too lazy learn how to mind them, to do the work to see them sent where they were taken from. The Ministry is changing its laws slowly, bit by bit because Newt can out step them every time.”

It also had a lot to do with a brother in such a high position, but Percival knew better than to say that. He sat back in the chair and glanced at the closed bathroom door, knowing Theseus was right. Percival couldn’t just overlook this but he didn’t want to lose Newt’s friendship either.

He left before Newt came out, wracking his brain for a solution.

 

“Are you sure about this Percival?” Seraphina asked, speaking to him through a charmed communication mirror.

“Absolutely. I’ve spent most of the night working on this. If we want the British representatives happy we have to do this.”

Seraphina watched him a long moment.

“You are aware that I know exactly which queen among them is a magizoologist, right?”

“Just sign the paper and send it back,” he snapped, closing the spell on her smirking face.

 

Newt opened the hotel door warily, peering at Percival with narrowed eyes.

“Can I help you, Director?”

“I came by to drop this you off with you, in case someone questions your sudden creature collection.”

Newt blinked, ear twitching curiously as he took the paper and unfolded it to read.

“It’s an emergency order, giving you permission to take care of the creatures you’ve found, given your background in recovering and helping creatures return to their homes.”

Newt bit his lips, eyes darting up to meet Percival’s. The guarded look was gone and the queen’s eyes were lit with joy, sparking happily as he smiled brightly.

“Thank you,” he breathed, stepping out to offer Percival a sudden hug in gratitude. Newt’s warm scent under his nose a moment, alluring and soothing. It was different from other queens, no perfumes or lustful scent clinging. Just something that stirred a warmth in his chest. Too quick, Newt pulled back, flushed red and eyes shy again.

It seemed foolish to realize it now.

That Percival really did have an interest in Newt, beyond friendship. But it ran deeper than mere lust and Percival wasn’t used to that at all.  

“Thank you,” Newt repeated and Percival nodded.

“Breakfast?”

Newt glanced up curiously.

“Would you, I mean, would you like to get breakfast together?”

“I can’t, I have to make sure I have food for everyone here. But,” Newt glanced back into the room. “A late lunch maybe? Theseus has meetings all afternoon and we could order in so I can mind the creatures?”

Percival nodded.

“I’ll find somewhere, bring lunch,” he offered and Newt smiled sweetly, nodding his head meekly in agreement.

“I’ll see you then? Around three perhaps?”

Percival nodded again and felt a bit like an idiot as Newt waved and closed the door. The queen had him turned all around, acting like some young tom. But Percival had never felt this before, this opportunity developing between them, for far more than anything fleeting.

For a long-lasting relationship, a happy one even.

 

Percival asked around and discovered a café that was famous for its sandwiches. Percival ordered a platter for four, thinking Newt might feed some to his creatures. He arrived at the room at three and Newt let him in with a smile.  

The room was still packed with creatures but one wall had been transfigured into a series of shelves that many creatures were now resting peacefully in. Various environments in each little box, artificial sunlight shining or a few inches of water sloshing at the bottom.

“This is amazing,” Percival breathed and meant it, all this delicate and precise magic done within a single night.

“Oh? Oh, the habitats. Thank you, I wanted them all to be comfortable. If me and Theseus did it right, the spell should be able to fold up into a single crate for easy travel. We’ll try it without the creatures of course, before we have to leave.”

Percival nodded, peering at the creatures that seemed utterly at ease, resting peacefully.

“They’re all very tired, it was stressful for them yesterday and for who knows how long before that.”

“Will they survive?”

Newt nodded.

“None of them are in a dire state thankfully. They’ll be fine with care and patience. I’ve already written some of my contacts in their homelands about safe relocations.”

“You’re very good at what you do,” Percival contemplated. “I feel like I owe you an apology for not seeing how utterly brilliant and talented you are.”

Newt flushed, cheeks red as he turned and began to clear the table off.

“T-thank you,” he managed to say in reply, tail twitching nervously.

They sat down to eat and Percival found himself watching the queen more closely. He had noticed Newt was gorgeous from the get go but now he found himself getting distracted by the shine of his lower lip and the length of his eyelashes.

“Is there something on my face?” Newt finally asked when he noticed Percival staring a third time.

“No. Nothing like that. I just… I was wondering what you thought of courting?”

Newt looked utterly baffled.

“In general?”

“Us. Me and you, courting,” Percival clarified. His nerves were unusually railed with this but he pushed forward, never one to shy away from something he wanted.

“That is. I would like to court you if you were interested.”

“Oh,” Newt looked wretched, his ears drooping. “I’m sorry, I don’t think that would be wise.”

Percival fought down the humiliation of the rejection and made himself nod his head and accept the answer.

“May I ask why?”

Newt looked down at his plate, glancing over to his creatures for a moment.

“We… we’re are very different, in terms of lifestyles. You have your city and I’m barely in London. My mother fusses about it often, how often I travel. I suppose I’ve thought of settling a few times but… I wouldn’t wish to rush things.”

“There would be no rush,” Percival replied, trying not to pressure the queen but also wanting to defend the idea of them being together. He was certain they could do so well, something in his heart insisting.

“You see,” Newt hesitated a moment. “My mum… she was like me, she loved languages and wished to travel and learn them all. She talks so fondly of it. But then she met my father and he was charming and utterly wonderful.”

Percival nodded.

“They had taken potions against kittens and shared her heat. But, as we know now, potions cannot prevent kittens during a healthy queen’s heat.”

The story began to make sense then.

“Your father?”

“Left. Very quickly. My mum’s family was outraged with her and tried to marry her to some horrid tom. She refused and they threw her out. Mum spent most of her pregnancy wandering the streets of London looking for work.”

“I’m sorry.”

Newt nodded, ears pressed low as he picked at the table awkwardly.

“She found work but it was very hard on her body but she had no choice. So she did it right until she went into labour and the day after she had to return to work. It took a toll on her body. Mum had five kittens but only me and Thee survived the delivery. I was born too small as well, the healer told her I would die in a few days.”

Percival sat back, trying to imagine such a horrid thing happening. It felt distant and so he imagined his own mother, on her own and without the Graves wealth. It was a terrible thought and he banished the image immediately. The idea of his brothers not all living to grow up with him so dreadful.  

“Mum raised us, especially me, to be careful. There are more queens in the world than toms. Hearts get broken every day she would say. Theseus did tell you the truth. I’ve never laid with anyone. For a time, there was… there was a tom named Leta but in the end, she turned out to be very cruel and I learned a hard lesson.”

“I’m sorry,” Percival offered, not knowing what to say really but Newt looked so miserable as he spoke.   

“I’m no good at holding back, at… reserving my emotions. I’ve found it easier to simply remain distant.”

Percival watched the queen, heart hurting for Newt and his cruel experiences with romantic love.  

“I understand,” he finally said. He could feel his own feline ears hanging low in dejection.

“But can I say, I just. I’ve spent my life in a similar way.”

Newt looked highly skeptical of that.

“I have. I’ve been with queens over the years but never… I’ve never been in a proper relationship. Always brief things, we both agreed always, of course, I’m not callous. But,” Percival hesitated.

“My mother was the only queen of her parents, highly sought after for her family wealth. She was courted by some of the richest people of the country and by plenty hoping to use her name to gain even more. She met my father, a no-name auror when some tom stepped over the line and she clawed him up and called them to arrest him. They hit off and she always said she knew, that there was a potential there and it was worth following.”

Percival looked at Newt, the queen watching him, trying to read his face for some hint of a lie or untruth.

“My parents love each other and I see it every time I see them, it remained strong and true and I’ve always wanted that. Wanted something that would last a lifetime.”

Percival ran his hand through his hair, flicking his feline ear nervously.

“I feel something around you, something that feels like it could be…more.”

“Oh,” Newt breathed, looking down, face flushing a deep fetching red. “I…I’m not sure I’m afraid. May I have time to think about this?”

“Of course,” Percival leaned forward too quickly, making himself stop. “Of course. I’m not trying to pressure or rush you, Newt. I just… I don’t want to see you leave without ever.. trying. That’s all.”

Newt nodded, peering up at Percival with a new interest, gaze keen.

“I’ll think on it; I promise…P-Percival.”

 

“You think you’re so clever,” Theseus greeted him, eyes narrowed. Percival was out on the balcony of the formal dinner, getting some air. Newt had claimed illness to stay in and mind his creatures.

“I’m a bit clever,” Percival admitted. “I really had to work to come up with a solution and now I owe the president a personal favour no doubt.”

“Newt isn’t like the queens you chase.”

“He isn’t. But he also isn’t a child incapable of making his own choices.”

Theseus glared at Percival a moment more before looking out over the city on display for them.

“Newt’s special, his heart is easily hurt. Love hasn’t been kind to him.”

“It hasn’t been exactly doting on me either. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try. I’m not after anything fleeting from your brother.”

“I know,” Theseus agreed. “I would have sent him home already if I thought you were trying to play him.”

“Is this your blessings?”

“This is my warning. Newt’s smart enough to make his own choices, you’re right. But I’m also going to make sure he gets married just as pure as he is now. If you think you’ll be getting anything before that time, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Theseus smirked and tipped his head in farewell. Percival frowning after his back in annoyance.

Typical big brother.

 

It was hard not to bring up the conversation again. But Percival was determined to be patient. He went back to New York for the week, determined to focus on his work.

“You’ve been busy,” Seraphina announced when she came by his office a few days after his return. “You haven’t been by once to complain about something.”

Percival snorted but kept his head bent, going over papers as he signed off and worked on the next pile. His desk was covered but he was going well, getting ahead a tiny bit which was rare.

“You’re snooping.”

Seraphina looked around his office, peering at his mess and flicking files open on his desk.

“The Wethsten case? You said there was no way we could pin them last month.”

“New sources, trying to see if anything can be dug up. It’s as if we keep working cases over a period of time and not for a moment and then give up.”

Seraphina fixed him with a dark look for his cheek but he ignored her. They got on well and always had, it was part of why they did well together in office. That and trust, Percival trusted her and he didn’t doubt she afforded him the same.

“Wethsten, they were thought to be involved in magical creature smuggling. One of the largest culprits, weren’t they?”

“Go away.”

“Newton Scamander, Newton Graves, it has a nice ring to it?”

“Sera,” Percival sighed, dropping his pen and sitting back in his chair. “I’m working, are you honestly here for gossip?”

“You’ve never courted before, not seriously,” she replied, running a finger along his desk and peering at him with curiosity. “There’s been talk, about you and this British queen and I was curious.”

“You’re really here for gossip,” he confirmed.

“Hush, it’s lunch and you need a break before you go cross-eyed. Up you get, I’ll buy and you’ll talk about this queen.”

“Is that an order?”

“Very much,” she replied, waving him to stand and get moving. Percival shook his head but went.

It was good to talk with her, Seraphina had a sharp mind and often was excellent to run ideas by. She listened to Percival talk of everything that had happened and his sudden request to court.

“It is a bit fast,” she admitted, her long feline ears tipping delicately. “But you make quick calls often and rarely mess them up.”

“Theseus Scamander has been asking about you, trying to learn all he can. It’s how I knew about this courting in the first place, the rumour mill is mild now but it will pick up. You’d be wise to divulge to your mother about this, less you insult her by not telling her.”

Percival winced, seeing the wisdom right away.

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You’ve never courted properly before,” Seraphina replied easily. “I do wish you luck as well. And that you keep up this work, you should have courted years ago if it makes you a hard worker.”

 

Percival had meant to arrange a lunch with his mother to talk but when he got back to the office they had a break on the Wethsten case. Someone willing to finally talk. The Wethsten family was a powerful one in New York and they had always been known for their criminal activity but never pinned down for it. Anyone willing to talk to the aurors turned up dead, always horribly mutilated.

Now the brother of one of those dead men was willing to talk.

They had to move fast and Percival’s romantic life was set aside for a bit as he focused on his job. It was rare for him to work cases but this was high profile enough that he led. In a matter of days, they were busting one of the largest crime rings in the city. Arresting dozens of people, far too many of them working within MACUSA. It felt good, beyond good to take the crime family down after years of chasing.

Percival made note of one of the largest magical creature haul they had in decades as well, hundreds upon hundreds of creatures.

Even without Newt in mind, Percival couldn’t just kill them all. He conferred with Seraphina and the research and resources departments for days after the bust. With much pushing and grumbling from plenty of people, the Magical Creature Recovery program was instituted in MACUSA. Created for the illegal creatures they confiscated in order to help them recover and then be sent home to their country of origin.

Seraphine, being her usual self, insisted Percival announce it and made a point to name it his idea and project.  

He wished he could be more annoyed but it was hard when Newt greeted him enthusiastically, eyes alight with a new warmth. They were at another large event, the three of them meeting on a balcony. Newt seemed to always find the quieter balconies at these things.

“Good job on the new program,” Theseus offered to Percival, both a bit annoyed and pleased.

Newt smiled brightly.

“It’s wonderful,” he agreed. “This is just what was needed, hopefully the Ministry will follow. Magical creatures need our support and assistance.”

Percival nodded.

“They have you to thank for this. You’ve given me an excellent education on what we lacked and I was able to take that and help make a change.”

Newt flushed, looking down but still smiling so happily.

Theseus sighed softly, taking a sip of his drink and looking put out, knowing Percival had managed to impress.

He was pulled into conversations with politicians talking about his latest work with the crime ring and the bold new program. People either sucking up or trying to drag him down. He spent the evening sidestepping them and looking for Newt.

“He left early, the crowd here is thicker than usual,” Theseus told him eventually. “Good work on that crime ring, regardless if I like you with all this courting, that was decent work.”

“It was luck more than anything, waiting years to get the right person to talk.”

“Most big cases are that way,” Theseus grumbled and Percival had to agree. They managed to talk more than usual, seeming to find common ground. Percival noticed Theseus was making more of an effort than before and he accepted it quickly, curious to the reason.

He found out why soon enough.

Percival returned the next morning to New York, his work calling more insistently with the attention from the crime ring falling.

He found the letter waiting for him, all of his mail, personal and public was directed to his office for safety measures. MACUSA carefully looking everything over to ensure it was safe and didn’t have any nasty spells waiting for him.

In his personal mail was a letter from his mother asking about lunch and about this silly rumour of Percival courting. He replied instantly, making sure to make reservations at his mother’s favourite place. The other personal piece was a letter from Newt of all people.  

Percival sat make in his chair, opening the wax seal and pulling out a letter.

He stared a bit, skimming the quick paragraph and then rereading it again.

An official offer to present a courting gift.

It was very traditional, to send a letter like this but Percival was still elated. Newt had accepted his offer to court, given that he could provide a gift to convince him. Something to show Percival’s intentions towards him and all he hoped to gain together.

Percival’s father had made his mother a pair of gloves. It had been popular at the time, to buy gloves for queens, magical charms to make them look gorgeous. To shine like diamonds or shimmer like dragon scales. His father had hand-stitched the gloves he offered her, which was rare among the wealthy. He had made the charms himself as well. To keep her hands warm in the winter and cool in the summer. To never stain or wear out. She had them still. When everyone had outrageous looking gloves, his father had known his mother wouldn’t want such things. That she would want plain but good quality gloves that served their purpose well over looks alone.

Percival just needed to figure out what Newt would want, what would be the perfect thing to offer him. Something to show he knew Newt well enough and would be able to provide for his needs.

A gift to win or lose the queen, simple really.

 

“Well, this is unexpected,” was how his mother greeted him the following night. She didn’t knock as she entered his house and the wards have long allowed her by without alerting Percival. The fact that she calmly stormed into his home told him how truly irritated she was with him.

Her cold tone and severe expression seemed to stop and then fade when she saw him. Well over thirty bolts of expensive cloth covering his living room. Spools of fine threats and various needs, books on sewing without magic. Percival in the middle of the mess feeling a bit helpless.   

“I’m sorry,” he offered before she could scold him. “I meant to tell you, but everything happened so quickly and I think I had myself convinced it was nothing.”

His mother watched him with narrow eyes, seeming to think on it before deciding to let him off thankfully. That last thing Percival needed was his mother angry with him.

“What are you trying to make?” She asked as she inspected the fabrics, some of them worth far more than Percival would ever want to admit. She didn’t ask what it was for or who, already knowing the answer, knowing him that well.

“A… heat kitten,” he admitted, glancing at her to see her reaction. Percival wasn’t entirely convinced this was a horrid idea and Newt would be deeply offended by the gift.

His mother raised her brows, looking over at Percival.

“That quite a statement Percival, even for a courting gift.”

He sighed out, sitting down on his couch and sagging into it.

“I shouldn’t make it then, something else.”

“Of course not, you're decided obviously, so follow through. Why a heat kitten?”

Heat kitten were small soft dolls filled with feather down or some light and delicate fill. Queens used them during heats that they didn’t plan to share with a tom. The doll would convince their heat muddle minds that they had a child and needed to stay put and protect it. It prevented them from leaving their homes to mate with any willing tom nearby. Heat could be very hard on queens, like a potent lust potion with no cure, they had to ride out the week of their body demanding to mate and breed. Heat kittens helped calm those instincts and comforted them during the worst of the heat fevers.

Newt was near his heat. Percival had scented the sticky sweet smell clinging to him the last time they met. Just a very subtle change in his scent but Percival had spent enough time obsessing on the smell to know it was different. Newt had said he didn’t want to rush into anything and Percival couldn’t see him wanting to share a heat so soon. A heat kitten would help him and with a bit of Percival’s magic and scent, it was a hope of a sort. For their future together and possible kittens that they might have one day.

His mother was right, it was a declaration and no light one. But Percival felt like it suited how he felt, so enraptured already. He’d never felt this strongly before, never felt as if he matched up with another being so well.

He admitted this all as his mother looked through the sewing books and disregarded them. She looked through each one and felt all the fabrics he had bought and snubbed them all as well.  

“The dinner reservations are in a bit,” Percival noted and his mother seemed to wave it off, frowning at a small cut of fabric that cost more than a brand new fully tailored suit.

“We need to deal with this, dinner can wait. Come along,” she told him and Percival followed obediently, trusting his mother.

They skipped the tailor shops and went right into the family shops. Percival hadn’t even thought of it, his mother leading him to the back where the kitten supplies were and with them, bolts of fine fabrics. Infinitely soft and with a fine fluff to them, like a kitten’s hair.

His mother selected blacks and greys, not the rich red and copper Percival himself had picked.

“You’re not trying to make a replica of your queen, you want to create something in combination. Now find a nice shade of his eyes.”

Percival ended up taking far too long, his mother amused as he peered at green blues and hazel shades. It was her gently pushing that made him pick. Once they had that selected, she took him to a whole bookshelf of kitten sewing patterns, every shape and size unimaginable. Some highly detailed and others simpler. Some looked more realistic, human-shaped with their ears and tail, other were more like cats.

Percival would have picked something too hard, always ambitious, but his mother insisted on an easier one.

“You’ll spend months on something too complicated. Go with the easier patterns, I don’t think you’ve sewn once in your entire life.”

Percival couldn’t argue that but also bought embroidery thread so he could put markings on the kitten’s fur. He wanted it to look nice after all.

It was a nice long week of utter frustration and removing stitches and going back to neaten others. Percival’s mother was hard on him about his work and he was grateful for it. He would never wish to present anything sloppy looking. He charmed the needle and threat with a bit of his blood and took some hair to add to the feather down filling. He wove his magic into each stitch and essentially made a very powerful love token. Newt would have all he needed to curse Percival if he ever wished, enough to cast dark magic upon him. Percival was certain Newt never would, but it was the act of trust that was important as well, to show he was willing to give all to the queen.

“Are you sure,” his mother asked, a bit worried as Percival stared at the drawn line on the fabric and carefully spaced out the next stitch. His ears pointed forward as he concentrated on doing this well. Every night for the past week his mother had come over to help him work on the gift.

“I am, Newt is a good sort, I trust him with this. I wouldn’t be trying to court him if I didn’t.”

His mother hummed thoughtfully and Percival just knew she would be making polite inquiries into the Scamander family to learn all she could. If she hadn’t already done so. It seemed unlikely she had not when he thought about it.

“Be careful, I don’t think you ever fallen this far before,” she cautioned and Percival nodded in respectful agreement. She did have a point of course, but Percival felt sure of Newt.

Just over a week, he finished his courting gift. A small black and grey heat kitten, the grey marking mimicking Newt’s own marks. Its eyes the queens deep blue-green as well. Both of their qualities combined. The embodied markings looked very nice as well, Percival pleased with the final outcome. It looked worthy of a gift.

With great care, Percival packed up the gift and warded the box so only Newt could open it. In the more modern age, most gave the gift in person but Newt had sent a letter so Percival would respond in kind. The brothers were due back in New York next week and it was then Newt would send his reply, if he accepted the courting.

Feeling more anxious then he had in years, Percival sent the gift off and threw himself into his work to keep from sitting by his window hoping for an early reply.

“It’s perfect, I’m sure he’ll love it,” his mother reassured him, kissing his cheek lovingly.

 

Newt rejected him.

Percival stared at the polite letter, re-reading the words over and over. Newt politely declining the courting and deciding they weren’t a good match in the end. He requested Percival discontinue contacting him as well. No letters and no attempts to call on him.

Percival received the letter at work, sitting at his desk and his work for once forgotten as he kept looking at the words.

“Tina,” he croaked, shaking himself and sitting up. “Tina Goldstein to my office immediately,” he told the contact paper on his desk. It folded neatly into a bird and took off quickly.

 

“Newt?” Tina looked surprised that she was there for something not related to work.

“I haven’t seen him really. We did keep writing back and forth, however. He’s a nice queen.”

“When was the last letter,” Percival asked, pacing his office as Tina watched him with growing incredulously.

“Yesterday. It was normal. No mention of anything new or different. What’s going on?”

Percival considered his option and then just waved his hand so the rejection letter floated over to Tina. She took it and skimmed it. Blinking, she read it again with more care, lips moving silently.

“I’m sorry, sir. I hadn’t realized you were this serious with him.”

Percival nodded.

“It seemed as if we were going along smoothly. But then this letter came abruptly. Something obviously happened.”

“Wait, is this why you made that creature program?”

“Focus Tina.”

“Right, your love life.”

“If you want to leave,” he waved to the door, rubbing his temple and feeling a pounding headache beginning.

“Of course not. Newt is my friend, but so are you. He hadn’t written anything was wrong but I know they arrived in the city yesterday. They’ll be in the hotel with the rest of the representatives.”

“He’s asked me not to contact him,” Percival pointed out, knowing he would honour the request no matter how much it killed him to do so.

“Yes, but I’m his friend. I’ll go visit him and see what I can find out.” Tina explained, putting the letter down on his desk. “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” she assured him.

Percival wondered how bad he must look if Tina was trying to comfort him.

 

“You’re certain this queen was interested in you?” His mother asked point blank, always straight to the heart of the matter.

Percival sagged into his couch and huffed, feeling like a young fool.

“I thought so, he never said he wasn't interested. Only that he worried about being used. His mother was abandoned pregnant and suffered for it.”

His mother made a soft noise, eyes distant in thought. Percival’s father brought him a drink of whiskey and Percival tossed it back. His parents had been waiting for him when he arrived home, planning a nice dinner. They had cancelled the reservations when they learned of the rejection.

“Many queens end up that way in the middle and lower class. Wealthy toms taking advantage of them and leaving to marry ‘proper’ queens.” His father explained grimly. “Many queens have been warned from birth to avoid upper-class toms.”

“Any toms, really,” his mother added. “It is an issue, so many lesser toms using poor queens and leaving them. But you’re nothing like that and this queen should have known that.”

Percival sighed, ears dropping low and tail tucked in misery.

“All I can do is wait and see if Tina learns the reasons behind the rejecting. If there’s nothing I can do, I won’t harass him.”

“I’m sure there is more to this, you’re a fine tom and any queen would be lucky to have you,” his mother decreed and his father nodded along. His mother insisted on gathering him up into a hug, holding tight to him like he was a kitten and assuring him it would be fine.  

So many people telling him it was fine, but no one seeming to have an actual solution to the ache in his heart.

 

“Let’s get pissed,” Kay decided the next night, a Friday. It showed his mother’s worry that she had sent his brothers to visit him when he politely rejected invites to spend time with his parents. Lamorak, Bedivere, and Kay had arrived. Tristan was tied up in some political work and was unable to join them but would visit tomorrow apparently. Of all his siblings, Tristan might offer the best advice. He was the only one to seriously court a queen and lose her, in a much worse and different way of course.

“I’d rather stay in,” Percival replied, in no mood to drink.

“Never said we’re going anywhere,” Kay replied. He handed Percival a drink that reeked of strong booze. “Just a few Percy.”

Sighing out, Percival took it and grimaced at the strength of it as he drank.

“To queens and how thoroughly they can wreak us,” Kay announced and Lamorak and Bedivere both nodded and drank. Kay kept mixing them up, insisting he knew how to do it best. Percival rejected drink after drink but a few slipped through and before too long he was accepting each one.

“She’s so perfect but we have such a good work relationship and friendship too. I don’t want to ruin that; I don’t want to put her in some horrid spot. I’d never manage on my own without her,” Bedivere confessed, leaning against Percival as he nodded along to his brother’s woes.

“She’s an amazing secretary and saves my tail all the time. I don’t want to be ‘that’ tom.”

“But you’re letting her slip through your fingers,” Lamorak insisted. “At least you know what it’s like to adore a nice queen. Everyone I look twice at is after money or status and you just don’t know who to trust. You’re both lucky.”

“Yes,” Kay replied with a snort. “Percy’s queen reject him and Bedivere can’t even work the courage to confess. So lucky.”

“Oh shut up,” Lamorak waves a finger at their youngest sibling. He had ended up sitting on the floor at some point, the coffee table scattered with drinks and a half-hearted card game.

“You’re just a tom slut, screwing his way through America!”

“Rude. I’ve barely made it through New York,” Kay teased easily but Percival could see a shadow in his eyes at the accusation. He was often labelled the wild one of them and the title was seeming to wear on Kay.

“To be fair, I’ve probably had more queens,” Percival offered. “I just don’t brag.”

Lamorak and Bedivere burst out laughing and Kay blinked in drunken surprise and then snorted.

“I could scandalize you with my conquests.”

“I doubt it,” Percival replied. “I imagine it was all very respectful and polite. I know you let queens claim you slept together even when you didn’t just as much as you actually do. You like the reputation.”

“Protects you,” Bedivere added. “Don’t have to worry about falling into proper love it you’re a flirt.”

Kay scoffed but Percival thought they hit the nail on the head there.

“Well, if I were either of you fools,” he challenged. Kay pointed at Bedivere. “Write her a damn letter, ask her out you coward. Tell her if she declines you’ll never have to speak of it again.”

“He has a point,” Percival chimed in, knowing it was a bad idea when they were all into their cup. But it was also staggeringly clear that Sophia, Bedivere’s secretary, adored him just as much as he did her.

“They’re right,” Lamorak declared, thumping his drink down hard. “Enough of this, it’s been years of this crap. Make a move or shut the hell up, Bed!”

Kay waved a hand and Percival’s writing set came floating, wobbling and bumping into things as it made its way over to them.

“Dear Sophia,” Kay dictated and the quill began to write for him.

“Now don’t make me write this for you,” he warned their brother. Bedivere finished his cup and thumped it down, wiping his mouth.

“Fine. I adore you, I always have since the Michaela case. You’re too good for me really, so brilliant and amazing. I don’t know why you put up with me half the time. I…I think your amazing and I’ve wanted to ask you out for so long. But I don’t want to be a pushy tom asshole type. I’m scared to ruin our…our work relationship. I can’t afford to lose you; I’d be utterly fucked without you.”

Bedivere started strong but ended low, sounded vulnerable as he pined for this queen.

“Please accept this rushed but honest offer from me. To go out on a proper date and let me prove this all to you,” Percival added smoothly, able to write proper letters no matter how drunk he was. Years of politics had taught him that. “If you feel nothing for me that please let me know so my heart can move on. Either way, I hope we can continue to work together for many years to come.”

“She’ll know I didn’t say that part, I’m horrid at formal letters.”

“She’ll know it’s the truth as well.”

Kay nodded his head and sealed the letter in an envelope.

“Wait, this is a bad idea,” Bedivere sat up suddenly, jostling Percival. “This is a horrid idea. You burn that letter right now.”

Kay nodded his head calmly, writing something on the envelope

“Kay, give it here!”

A grown tom of thirty, drunkenly threw himself at his brother, the two taking the couch over as they fell and wrestled viciously.

Percival watched and sipped his whiskey, the burn no longer strong, a sign he was truly drunk.

He picked up the letter his brothers hadn’t noticed yet and waved it a Lamorak with a raised brow. When his other brother nodded his head, Percival sent the letter to his window, where a pigeon arrived immediately and swooped off with it.   

It was crude, but Percival couldn’t watch his brother yearn and mope another three years before trying some timid move. Better it all be forced out into the open finally.

“Where is it! Kay?” Bedivere sounded panicked and Percival watched Lamorak pull another envelope from the writing set and scribbled on the front before holding it up.

“Right here, Bed, calm down.”

Bedivere had Kay pinned and was sitting on him, he reached out and his fingers sparked as the envelope burst into flames. Lamorak cursed and dropped it, waving his singed fingers in annoyance.  

“Enough with me!” Bedivere growled. “We’re here to help Percival out of his self-pity.”

“Hey,” Percival rumbled right back. “At least I tried.”

“You gave up!” Bedivere replied, jumping up and pointing a finger at Percival. “You claim this queen was special and now he’s just waltzing away and you’re not doing a thing!”

“I’m not going to stalk a queen, he made his feeling clear and I’m going to respect that.”

“No, Bed is right. You should at least ask why. It’s not unreasonable to ask a queen why he’s rejected you.”

“True,” Lamorak added, all three brothers looking at Percival with a challenge.

“Hell no,” he replied calmly, certain nothing would move him on this. Bedivere was one thing, but bothering Newt was a different thing entirely.

 

“Will you shut up.” Percival hissed as Kay snickered too loudly in the empty streets. Lamorak and Bedivere looking at the street signs and conferring quietly. They had gotten the address of the hotel Newt was located at out of him but Percival was certain they’d never find it. It was the middle of a cold night and in an hour they would give up and go back home to pass out.  

“Here it is!”

Percival stopped short, frowning up at the building that did indeed look the right one.

Damn.

Perhaps letting a city planner lead the way was a bad idea if he didn’t want to arrive at his destination. Still, Percival had one last trick up his sleeve.

“What room is he in?” Kay asked.

“I have no idea,” Percival answered, truly not knowing at all. There was no way to go bother Newt because they might be at the building, but they had no clue which room was his. The hotel wasn’t going to give them any information either, a group of intoxicated toms asking after a queen.

“This is because I love you,” Kay told him and he walked out into the abandoned street. Percival made a grab for him but staggered, the alcohol hitting his balance.

“Kay,” he growled, but the street tried to turn sideways and Percival groaned. Lamorak and Bedivere were watching him with amusement.

“Newt Scamander!” Kay hollered at the top of his lungs. “Scamander! I need to talk to you!”

“Shut him up,” Percival hissed at his brothers. “We’re going to get arrested.”

“You thought we wouldn’t find it, didn’t you? You were muttering that we would never locate the building. It was very rude,” Bedivere said. Lamorak nodding along.

“Very rude.”

“Newt Scamander!” Kay bellowed, lights coming on in the dark windows.

“You’re all idiots and we’re going to get arrested and fired.”

“So little faith Percy,” Lamorak sighed, shaking his head as Kay contained to yell in the middle of a street in the dead of night.  

“Who the hell are you?” Theseus Scamander’s voice suddenly called. Percival looked up and on the second floor the man was leaning out a window.

“Newt?” Kay asked confused, he swung to look at Percival.

“That’s the queen you all soppy over?” he asked incredulously.

“That’s a tom,” Lamorak called helpfully.

“Oh.” Kay looked back to the windows, more than a few people looking now as more lights came on.

“Is Newt home!” Kay shouted. “We’re looking for him.”

“Are you insane?” Theseus growled back, glaring down at Kay and trying to get a look at Percival. The three of them still on the sidewalk were hidden in shadow while Kay was under a street light and obvious.

“Newt Scamander, Percy wants to talk to you!” Kay called and the light beside Theseus’s room went on and Newt opened the window to lean out. He was high up but it was clear he was in his heat, hair damp and skin sweat shining even in the low light. He was wearing a thin nightgown and the light behind showed his silhouette through it.

“Well,” Kay whistled. “You picked a damn fine looking queen Percy.”

“Percival?” Newt called unsurely, eyes scanning the street. Percival couldn’t help but step out into the light and show himself.

Newt was leaning on the window with one hand and the other was clutching a heat kitten.

Percival’s heat kitten.

“You kept it,” he blurted and Newt’s gaze finally locked on him.

“You can, can just… stuff it!” Newt growled down at him, eyes narrowed and ears down in anger. Heat made the calmest and relaxed queens wild, swinging their behaviours viciously sometimes. It was clear Newt was one of those sorts, the usually shy queen looking enraged and not hesitating to say why to the whole street.  

“You good for nothing tom slut! You heartbreaker!” Newt cried out. Even from the distance, Percival could see Newt’s lip trembling, ready to cry it seemed. Percival was baffled by the bizarre reaction, crossing the street to get closer.

“Feisty,” Kay commented lightly.

“You run around cat! You, you lied to me!” Newt accused and Percival shook his head.

“No, I never lied, Newt.”

“You’re lying right now!”

“I’m calling the aurors,” Theseus called, glaring at them all and disappearing from his window. Percival cursed and looked around. Newt wasn’t that far up, only one level above the main. Reaching out, Percival found a grip on the ornate brick around the window. Cursing his own stupidity, he began to climb.

“Go away, you’re a liar, you acted so nice but you were lying that whole time,” Newt alleged, watching as he scaled the wall up towards him.

“Look at him go!” Kay called, pointing to him as Lamorak and Bedivere went into the street to collect Kay finally.

“Leave,” Newt hissed when Percival arrived at his window. He looked ready to claw Percival but he pushed forward relentlessly, stumbling through the window and sitting on the floor.

“Tell me why you rejected me,” Percival pled. “I’ll leave and never bother you, but I need to know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come but I’m here and I’m going to be arrested and lose my job so please, just tell me why.”

Newt glared, looking so different from the meek queen Percival had met those weeks ago. He looked so lovely, even so heartbroken and teary-eyed.

“I trusted you.”

“I trusted you,” Percival blurted and Newt blinked in surprise. “I thought…I was so sure you would accept. And you did, on some scale you feel something for me or you wouldn’t have kept that.”

Newt clutched the heat kitten to his chest.

“I was going to accept; I went to meet you at your office when we came back.”

Percival leaned forward intently focused now.

“Then I r-ran into your secretary.”

“I don’t have a secretary.”

Newt blinked at the interruption and then lunged forward, kneeling down on the floor with Percival so he could hit him. He wasn’t trying to truly hurt him though, his frustration bleeding out as he thumped his fists on Percival’s chest.

“You’re lying to me,” he whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks now. Newt was in full heat, his emotions swinging wildly. He reeked of the most delicious scent, Percival’s mouth-watering despite himself.  

“I’m not,” Percival breathed. “I don’t have a secretary Newt, I never have. You’d have met them at some point if I did.”

Newt shook his head in negative, sobbing softly.

“She was there and she was p-pregnant with your kittens.”

Percival’s ear flicked forward and he sat up quickly, taking Newt’s shoulders and making him sit up with him.

“Whoever this was, she lied to you. I’ve never sired kittens in my life. I haven’t had sex in almost eight bloody months. Newt, I swear to you, I don’t have some secretary pregnant with my kittens. I wouldn’t be a Director of MACUSA if I behaved like that.”

Newt shook his head again, crying steadily now and Percival had to gather him up and hug him close. Newt fought weakly and then collapsed against him, the two curled up with Percival’s back slumped against the wall.

“Newt,” Theseus voice was muffled through the door as he knocked lightly. “I have to go downstairs and meet the aurors, are you ok?”

Newt bit his lip and pushed away from Percival.

“I’m f-fine Thee. You can go.”

Theseus agreed and his footsteps thumped away.

“I think I might be falling in love with you,” Percival announced and Newt stared at him. “I’m not some lesser tom who uses queens. I’ve had brief relationships but the queens always agreed to that. I’ve never spent a heat with a queen in my life. I didn’t sire any kittens and I… I was heartsick when you rejected me.”

Newt watched him as he talked, taking in his face as he sat back, hugging his heat kitten to his chest.

“I…I liked you a great deal as well. That’s why I was so…s-so upset when that queen told me you were w-with her.”

“Newt, I will find whoever the hell this queen was and I will prove to you she was lying. I’ll drag her in front of the press and make her apologize for lying to you. I adore you,” he breathed, reaching up and cupping Newt’s face carefully. The queen could claw his face is he wished, in his heat it was very likely to be clawed. But Percival had to try. Drawing the queen near and touching their brows. Newt looking so lovely this close. His pretty freckles and smooth creamy skin, those full lips and pretty clever eyes.

“You… you smell.” Newt wrinkled his nose. “Like alcohol.”

“My brothers were trying to drown my sorrows. They’re going to get arrested over this.” Percival admitted.

Newt sat up and peered out the window. “I think they left actually, I don’t see anyone.”

Newt was up on his knees leaning over to the window while Percival as under it, the queen’s chest pressed to his face.

He nuzzled in, scenting deeply. Newt smelt so decadent and wicked. Percival had never scented a queen in full heat before. The appeal of it was almost overpowering, his mind already addled with alcohol.

Newt made a noise when Percival rubbed against him but didn’t move away, tipping his head down to watch ad Percival rub a cheek along the queen’s chest, tugging him back down. Newt shifted and settled into Percival’s lap, a low throaty purr starting up as he began to butt his head affectionately against Percival.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Newt protested, ever as he pressed closer to Percival. “You need to leave.”

Percival hummed in agreement, nuzzling into Newt’s neck where the scent was strong, he couldn’t help but taste a bit, open-mouthed as he licked the sweat off Newts skin. He got a throaty sound in reply, Newt arching into the touch as his tail lashed. His rump lifted instinctually, Newt’s eyes a bit hazy as he presented himself for mating.

He looked so gorgeous and Percival coaxed Newt back up, slotting their mouths together for a kiss. Only just remembering it was their first as they made contact. He tried to keep it sweet and soft, loving. Newt was the urgent one, his heat making him open his mouth and his tongue licked at Percival’s lower lip.

He felt the sting of claws on his wrist, Newt’s nails dragging and leaving bright lines behind, mating marks.

Percival wished he could, wished so badly they could just take and he could snatch this queen up for his own. But Newt couldn’t consent properly and Percival was better than that.

“We can’t,” he muttered and Newt whined but nodded his head. Shivering and sweat glistening, looking like such a temptation. Percival picked up the heat kitten Newt had dropped at some point and Newt was immediately snatching it up protectively, curling it close to his chest. He laid back, flopping onto the floor, somehow graceful, as Percival watched. Newt squirmed and rubbed his scent to the carpet as he purred lazily and cuddled his heat kitten close.

Percival sat back against the window and felt the alcohol in him making him a bit dizzy again. Sighing out he pushed off the wall and laid out on the floor with absolutely no grace. Laying on his belly side by side Newt, peering at each other.

“You drunk,” Newt accused fondly and reached out to run his fingers through Percival’s hair, scratching lightly. All mothers stroked their kitten’s head when they were little and the hard-wired reaction was Percival rumbling his own purr, eyes growing heavy under the comforting feeling.

He wasn’t sure if he fell asleep or passed out.

 

Percival woke with a throbbing hangover, the light from the windows far too bright as he groaned out and tried to turn his face and hide in the pillow.

A glass bumped his shoulder and Percival looked at it blearily for a moment before sitting up and taking it. It was floating in the air and the spell ended as he took the cup and drank it down. The taste of a potent hangover potion with something sweet mixed in.

Percival laid back and tried to place what that sweet taste was, not something normal. It was a unique taste that his tongue picked up on.

Trained too.

“Truth potion?” He asked and a voice made a sound of agreement. Percival sat up slowly, laid out on a couch with a blanket and pillow. He was in a hotel main room, a little kitchenette and bedrooms off to the side. He could easily tell which one was Newts, the mating scent lingering down the hall.

Theseus was sitting in a chair not too far off, reading a book calmly.

Percival licked his dry lips and swung his legs over the side of the couch.

“What time is it?”

“2 o’clock in the afternoon. What’s your full name?”

Percival frowned at the compulsion to answer and didn’t bother to fight it.

“Percival Odysseus Graves.”

“Where were you born?”

“New York, in my parent’s house with healers attending.”

“What is your current job?”

“Director of Security at MACUSA.”

“What do hope to gain from Newt Scamander?”

“Marriage, likely some kittens. But his heat scent is messing with me. I keep thinking about our kittens and how important it is to breed him.”

“Delightful,” Theseus grunted. “What is it you like about Newt so much?”

“His smile, his personality, how he handles himself, the way he works with his creatures, how stubborn he can be, how good his ass looks in his trousers.” Percival struggled to stop himself but his tongue was loose from the potion.

“Do you have kittens?”

“No. I don’t know who Newt met but I will track her down and see her charged to the extent of the law. I don’t have a secretary.”

“Important man like you?”

“I honestly don’t like the idea of someone managing all my meetings for me. I prefer to accept and decline them via letter as I please. It makes it harder to get meetings with me, which I also enjoy a great deal.”

Theseus hummed in reply, turning a page of his book.

“Do you love my brother?”

“Painfully so I suspect, it feels so fast, a few months but he’s got my tail in a good grip and doesn’t even know it.”

“That does sound like Newt,” Theseus agreed with a sigh.

“What’s the most humiliating thing I can do from here?”

Percival tried to swallow it back but the potion was too strong.

“Send a letter to my mother, ask her to come pick me up, let her know I came here drunk. She’ll scold me for weeks for being so shameful, for bothering a queen like this.”

“Perfect.”

 

“I am very sorry about this all,” Percival’s mother told Theseus again, the utter bastard looking so pleased with himself. Percival was a grown man and still, he felt like a mischievous kitten called to heel at his mother’s side. At least Theseus had allowed him to clean up in the bathroom and look presentable before his mother had arrived. Like he was twelve instead of thirty-three.

“It’s fine. Newt has…” Theseus looked unhappy. “Has decided that he’ll see Percival for daily visits per traditional courting.”

Percival’s ears swivelled up, feeling something delightful pour over the shame in him.

“Newt agreed to court?”

“Despite all this nonsense, he has,” Theseus grumbled. “You can come tomorrow at four, with a chaperone of course.”

“Of course,” Percival’s mother agreed politely.

“Then, we’ll see you then,” Theseus nodded stepping back and Percival followed his mother out the door.

“And Percival?” Theseus added before he closed the door. “The truth potion will wear off in a few hours.”

The door shut.

His mother lopped her arm in his elbow, leading him down the halls.

“Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

 

Percival’s mother was not one to waste an opportunity. But the time they arrived home, after walking through the park for an hour and a half, she had learned a great deal. Everything going on his life currently, as well as everything he knew of his brothers, and things from years ago. Old misbehaving Percival had gotten away with. Queens he had snuck into his room as a youth, various things he had broken and blamed a sibling on, the times he played his brothers against each other, plenty of dirty secrets.

“Honestly, Percy, I thought you were the good kitten.”

“Sorry,” he grumbled, humiliated but unable to fight the light feeling in his chest. Newt had accepted his courting, they were still on. They would court and marry, could have a future together. His mother seemed to see that in him and smiled sweetly, pleased for him as well.

They arrived at his parent’s home to a full house, all of his siblings there and waiting.

“You utter bastard,” Bedivere snarled as he charged at Percival. Taking him by the coat lapels and shaking him hard.

“Get off me, I’m sore.”

Bedivere let go but when he went by, he yanked Percival’s tail and he growled the jolt of discomfort.

“Screw off, Bed.”

“You sent a drunken letter to Sophia! Why would you do that?”

Their brothers were all sitting in the living room with their father, their mother joining them. It was clear they had thrown Percival under the carriage to save their own skins.

“First off, it was a group effort,” Percival announced. “Second you needed it. You needed the push or you would have never made the move. Bed, it’s so clear that Sophia loves you right back and watching you two is painful. So I sent it knowing it would be embarrassing but that it would finally get the ball moving. Finally.”

“Bedivere, if you’re feeling upset,” their mum offered sweetly.

“Mum, please,” Percival whined. Whined like he was some kitten.

“Percival is feeling the after-effects of a truth potion.” She announced and Percival was immediately assaulted by brothers asking humiliating questions.

With a look of despair at his mother, he clamped his lips closed and stalked to his bedroom to escape them. All grown men, acting like utter kittens really.  

 

Percival and his mother arrived at the hotel the Scamanders were staying in at three forty sharp. By the time they passed the doorman and made their way up, it was three fifty. Theseus answered the door and showed them in, settling them on the same couch Percival had woken up on hungover.

“Newt will be out shortly.” Theseus announced and Percival sat calmly, glancing at the hallway but not outright staring. Much.

His mother patted him on the knee.

“I’m curious to finally meet this queen, who has managed to enrapture you so thoroughly.”

Percival nodded, hoping his mother and Newt got on well. He couldn’t see it being an issue, it was clear his mother was out to win everyone over, easy smile in place.

Newt appeared with Theseus, looking perfectly normal save for a hint of sweat on his brow and his heat kitten tucked under his arm.

“Hello Percival, Mrs. Graves,” he offered politely with a soft smile that melted Percival’s heart. They stood and his mother courteously shook Newt’s hand.

“I’ve heard so much about you from my love-struck son,” she told him and Newt blushed and glanced at Percival.

“Why don’t we sit down and serve some tea and biscuits, we’ve just had lunch so pardon the light meal.” Theseus explained and everyone nodded and agreed easily.

Theseus and Percival’s mother took a seat easily. Percival followed, sitting beside his mother. The intention was two couches facing one another, one for them and the other for the Scamander brothers.

Newt, however, had other ideas and calm as you please, settled himself in Percival’s lap. The tom blinked in shock but lifted a hand to Newt’s waist to steady him.

His mother gave an amused huff and Theseus sighed out.

“Newt, why don’t you come sit here?”

Newt glanced at the spot beside his brother and seemed dissatisfied with it. His long tail lashing in displeasure before he looked away.   

“I’m alright here,” he instead primly, smiling at Percival. He had the heat kitten settled in his own lap, looking adorable as Newt pet it absently. There was a gleam of sweat on his brow still and his scent was divine.

Without the alcohol to muddle his mind, Percival was very aware of the heat scent and how wonderful it was. It seemed to seep into him and wake every inch of him. The hair on his neck was standing up and his skin prickling. It wasn’t a bad sensation however, it felt exhilarating with each inhale.

“Newt,” Theseus coaxed. “Come have some tea with me. Percival will end up heat drunk if you sit on his lap too long.”

“I don’t mind,” Percival blurted before he could even think not to.

Newt smiled brightly.

“So Newt, may I ask about your future plans?” Percival’s mother inquired lightly, seeming perfectly at ease with the awkward situation.

“I’m going to have kittens with Percival,” Newt announced with a warm smile and Theseus nearly choked on his tea.

“Newt, please come sit with me,” he requested with more of a plea. Newt shook his head, leaning in to gently head butt Percival and rub affectionately.

“I missed Percival,” Newt pouted.

“I missed you too,” Percival assured and Newt smiled again, looking jubilant as he tucked his heat kitten close.

“Anyway, Newt has plans to travel more I think, to gather more research.” his brother added hastily, to keep the conversation moving.

“I have many, many, many, illegal creatures that I look after and they need to be returned to their homes.” Newt offered. “I can’t settle until I’ve seen them all safe and even then, I’ll always want to be helping more. I do well doing things more than merely observing.”

Percival’s mother nodded, sipping her own tea.

“Do you hope to return to New York?”

“I hadn’t planned on it but I suppose I will. Percival lives here and his work is here too. Mine is made so I can move as I please.”

“Of course. You know Percival’s great uncle was a magizoologist, he used to have a rather large workshop. I do believer Percival’s current home is where it’s located.”

“Really?” Newt’s ears perked with interest. “I’d like to see that.”

“I can show you,” Percival assured, his tongue feeling a bit sloppy in his mouth.

“Let’s go then,” Newt stood to lead the way and Theseus jumped up before Percival could follow.

“Now, now, we can’t go right this moment.” He explained and Newt looked disappointed. Theseus took his brother by the shoulders and led him to the other couch sitting him down and giving him a cup of tea.

“Later I’m sure. For now, why don’t we talk about something else? Is there anything you wanted to ask Percival?”

Newt frowned a moment, glancing at Percival and something in his gaze turned…sharp.

“Who was that queen in your office?”

“I’ve no idea,” Percival replied quickly. “I reported that someone was skulking around and put good aurors on tracking her down and finding out what possessed her to lie to you. I’m more worried she was out to hurt you than spread some ridiculous rumours.”

Newt didn’t look relieved at all, he looked upset even more, petting his heat kitten with his free hand.

“You having kitten is ridiculous?” He asked sadly and Percival’s mind scrambled to keep up with the jumping emotions. He felt a bit tipsy, Newt’s scent still calling to him.

“Having kittens with anyone but you,” his mother assured the queen and Newt looked relieved, all smiles once more.

“I’m glad. I would like kittens. Theseus explained why not this heat but maybe next heat.”

“That’s lovely,” Percival’s mother replied warmly and Newt smiled back happily. It was clear they liked each other and Percival was very glad. He had heard old wise tales that some queens who met during a heat were repelled and would always dislike one another.

“Did you have any other visitors?”

Newt perked up and nodded his head in positive.

“I met Tina here, she came up to us and begged us to come talk with Percival after I clawed him for kissing me without permission. She swore he was a good tom and I could tell she really meant it so we went.”

Percival hadn’t known any of that.

“She comes and visits me with her adopted brother Credence. He’s a very cute sad queen that was abused before and now he’s learning to be a queen. He sat with me today and I let him hold my kitten for a bit,” Newt rambled cheerful, his heat taking away his inhibitions. So he spoke more freely then he would have usually.

“After them, Queenie and her mate Jacob came. They run a bakery and adopts stray kittens off the street to raise. I adore them and I hope I can be as happy as they are, they love each other so much. Jacob made the biscuits. He brings me lots of food. Not to court but just so I eat well.”

“I’m so glad you’ve met people you can call friends so quickly.” Percival’s mum offered kindly.

“Me too,” Newt cheered. “I’m usually too awkward or annoying for people to like. Leta was my dear friend in school and a darling tom I fancied but she was using me to try and get to Theseus, because he was an auror already and her father was arrested for many crimes. After that Leta would mock me in the halls for being so strange.” He looked down, ear dipping low as he recalled some horrid memory.

“She’s just a spiteful bitch,” Percival growled. The viciousness in his tone surprising everyone. Newt blinking up at him with wide eyes.

“You’re such an amazing queen, I’ve never met anyone like you before. Any tom who could have had you and let you go was a complete idiot.”

Newt staring at Percival a second before flushing a pleased pink. Ear perking back up shyly.

“You are most certainly, heat drunk,” his mother observed with an amused smile. “You must be very endeared to Newt that his scent has such a strong effect on you.”

Newt looked so pleased.

“Now, let's get down to the important business,” his mother declared, setting down her teacup. Newt and Theseus both turned their full attention on her.

“Which would you like first, the embarrassing stories of Percy when he was a cute kitten or the humiliating stories of when he was a youth?”

Both brothers lit up in delight.

 

Once Percival was home and had time to sober up from being heat drunk, he threw himself into tracking the queen who lied to Newt. The importance of it had risen dramatically now, knowing it mattered to the queen so much. For Newt to bring up during his heat meant it was impacting him. It worked Percival up, picked at his brain, this thing that displeased his queen.

So he worked hard to chase her down, to find out who was in his office or even around it. His daily work was impacted as well. Percival was distracted and so he focused twice as hard, pushing himself to excel. A poor Director of Security wasn’t going to win over Newt. So Percival made more arrests and closed cases, taking care not to misstep in his eagerness and make any mistakes.

“You’ve half the department terrified and the rest in awe,” Seraphina announced and Percival ignored her at his door.

“I’m working,” he grunted and meant it, buried in checking leads so they could be approved to move into proper investigations on high profile cases.

“I see that, you’ve done more in the last few days then most do in weeks.”

Percival didn’t reply, focused on sighing his name.

“Have you slept at all?”

He hadn’t beyond a few hours here and there. He felt too restless at night to sleep well. Taking a potion to get a few minimum hours and then taking another in the morning to help boost himself for the day.

“You’ll take next week off, I already booked it.”

“Absolutely not,” Percival snarled, finally looking up and glaring at the woman. Seraphina stopped short a moment and then her eyes narrowed dangerously.  

“You will do as I say,” she snapped back. “You’re going to work yourself sick and then your queen will be sure you’re weak and useless.”

The words were nonsense but some part of his hindbrain reacted, taking them in with worry.

“You’re clearly heat crazed, all worked up because your queen is in heat. You’ll work yourself to the bone to impress him, to show him your competent. Honestly though, I’d be focused on magical creature laws if you really wish to impress him.”

“They take time,” Percival grumbled.  

He might have checked already.

“I imagine they’ll be rapidly changing either way,” Seraphina huffed.

“I’m here for a reason, however,” she added. “I had the queen Newt ran into brought in.”

Percival jerked up, standing up immediately.

“Where is she?”

“In lockup, cooling her heels. And utterly terrified of you after my little chat with her.”

“I want to see her, immediately.”

“Absolutely not,” she echoed his early words back at him. “You're in no condition to do such a thing and you’ll end up threatening her life or something and she’ll get away with what’s she’s done.”

Percival opened his mouth to argue but Seraphina stepped into the room and closed his office door settling into a chair. Her calm made him more aware of just how stirred up he was and he forced himself to sit back down.

“Her name was Minda Hillard. She’s no one important, a low worker in the inventory department. She heard rumours about you being clawed and thought she might be able to capitalize on your name being slurred.”

Percival's features twisted in disgust.

“She told a handful of people and it didn’t go over well. She did have a scheme to use magic to try and prove it but the little twit was dumb enough to leave spell books and illegal potion ingredients in her apartment. We’ve more than enough to send her to jail. She certainly went pale when she realized I was the one to be interrogating her.”

“Good,” Percival grunted. Seraphina looked merciless on this matter as well. It made him feel a touch better that she was at least taking it seriously, some might just laugh off the accusations.

“I won’t have some girl slandering my Director of Security. We’ll have no reputation at all if anyone can walk in and make such claims without worry of penalties. She’ll be made an example of, to show the rest of America what happens.”

Percival sat back, more relieved.  

Newt would be pleased.

 

“That’s terrible,” Newt sighed out, looking so sad as he shook his head. “That poor girl.”

Percival was thrown, looking at Theseus and his brother Tristan. Each day he visited, Percival brought someone new with him, introducing his mother and then father first and now his siblings to the Scamander brothers. Thankfully, they both looked surprised with Newt’s comment as well.  

“This queen lied to you,” Theseus reminded his sibling and Newt nodded.

“That was wrong of her, terrible of her really. It broke my heart so much,” Newt looked near tears again.

“And now she’ll have to pay for it,” Percival added. “For lying.”

“But so harshly? I dislike her immensely and she should be reprimanded but...queens punished in the spotlight...it never goes well for them. Much less a queen with kittens. She lied and tried to do something very wrong...I’ll always hate her a bit. But I also pity her kittens, their lives will start already with a slight against them.” Newt clutched his heat kitten close, petting it worriedly.  

Percival stared at the queen, unsure of what to say. But he understood what Newt was saying immediately. The queen’s life would be over, she would be refused good work wherever she turned once her face was all over the papers. Percival had no real pity for her but his mind suddenly went to her unborn kittens and how hard their lives would be, born to a poor mother who couldn’t find work.

“Newt had a point, the kittens would pay for their mother’s mistake,” Tristan announced, sitting back. “But is it important to make her answer for what she’s done and for others to know they can’t do so as well.”

Newt looked torn.

“Perhaps a middle ground can be found, in this case,” he added, looking to Percival with a sharp gaze. He was warning Percival silently.

Percival didn’t agree. He didn’t think the woman should be spared, he did pity her kittens but she had made these choices that led to the punishment. There was a father out there as well, someone who should step up, but likely wasn’t going to. Percival had always been vocal about the law and having it followed properly.

But Tristan was warning him with a look.

“Perhaps,” he finally said weakly.

“That’s good,” Newt looked far more relieved than Percival expected, the queen pushing up from his spot to come over and hug Percival tightly. “My heart just couldn’t deal with the guilt. Those poor kittens.”

Percival returned the embrace and resolved to let the matter go, for this queen in his arms. The soft enchanting scent of him luring Percival to convince himself it was no great issue after all.

 

“How did you know?” Percival asked his brother afterwards as they walked down the hallways. Newt hadn't been overly obvious in his opinion at first and just days ago he had seemed to want the queen punished thoroughly.

“Common sense,” Tristan replied. “He’s the child of a queen who struggled with nothing and his sadness was focused more on the kittens. The way he was clutching his heat kitten as well. It was obvious if you looked properly. Your heat muddled brain is lucky to realize he was upset I suppose.”

“Rough,” Percival replied, but reached out an arm to clasp his brother in gratitude. The last thing Percival wanted was to be at odds with Newt. He wanted that lying queen brought to justice but for Newt, he truly was willing to go easy on her. It showed the depths of his dedication to the queen. Percival had never been willing to go easy before, and yet now he knew he would for Newt’s comfort.

“He’s primed for kittens you realize, the way he clutched the heat kitten and how he speaks of his beasts and babies them. A nurture eager for little ones of his own. You’ll be having kittens in no time,” Tristan predicted.

Percival hummed in reply, finding the idea nice. Newt holding their little ones, snuggling them close.

“I wonder if you’ll be so eager after the heat wears off?”

Percival glanced at his brother.

“I wouldn’t be courting him if I wasn’t ready for marriage and all that came with it.”

“I suppose. But you’re going fast, rushing through the steps. You’ll be married with kittens on the way quickly Percival. I don't want you to regret.”

Tristan always the more realistic of them. Percival used to be right there with him as well.

“Did you ever regret? Marrying.” It was a harsh thing to ask, but Percival wanted his brother to know the depth he felt for Newt, that he was certain of him.

Tristan had married young, right in love with Emily, a darling queen that had gone to school with them all growing up. Their parents had worried about him marrying right out of school but Tristan insisted. Emily had caught with kittens at twenty and they seemed to utterly happy. But tragedy struck hard, the queen had fallen ill and lost the litter. Emily had been devastated and nothing could lift her spirits. She had let the illness in her spread without fighting it properly and had faded away. Her death had been excruciating on Tristan but it had been those months leading up that had broken him. Begging her to eat and to take her potions as she laid in bed and wasted away, petting her heat kitten absently.

Her death had affected them all, scared them all a bit Percival supposed. The brothers taking care of Tristan in the aftermath of it all and seeing how loving could turn on someone so sharply.

Tristan frowned at the floor a long moment before his shoulders slumped.

“I can’t. I wish I did some days but I truly can’t.”

Percival took his shoulder and squeezed in comfort and apology.

“I adore him, Tris. And the only thing I’d ever regret was letting him go. I’m an old man and my house is empty. I hate how empty it is. I want a wife and kittens, I’m more than ready.”

Tristan peered at Percival a moment before nodding seriously.

“You’ll be fine then, that queen adores you. You’ll be married in no time.”

Percival prayed that he was right.

 

True to his word, Percival spoke to Seraphina and kept the pregnant queen out of the media. She was still charged, her job gone and her name slurred in New York, but not so much she couldn’t pick up and start somewhere new. They would find someone more well off to shove into the spotlight the next time such accusations arose in MACUSA. Percival believed in the law but Newt’s worries haunted him, the idea of starving kittens in the gutter by his hand bothering him. Realistically he knew it wouldn’t be his fault, but the image haunted him nonetheless. He wondered if it was the lingering heat in his mind getting to him or if Percival was getting a bit soft.  

She requested to speak to him and Percival pondered over it before ultimately denying it. He wanted nothing to do with her. She had gotten his mercy due to his queen and that was more than enough. Seraphina passed the sentiments along and then quietly had her leave the city. She didn’t tell Percival but he had his own eyes on the situation and it was reported when the queen left for down south to move in with some aunt.

Percival put her out of mind and turned his focus to better things. Onto his darling Newt.

 

“Tristan visited again,” Newt told him when Percival came on the last day of his heat. Kay was with him and both were surprised to hear their sibling had come again. “He visited as a friend on his own, Theseus grumbled, but let him.”

Percival glanced at the other tom. Theseus looked annoyed but not overly so.

“He was polite enough and his reason was sound. If you marry we’ll all be family so it can’t hurt to get to know one another. He had plenty of impressive views on magical creature laws as well, a good politician.”

“He does well,” Percival agreed. Tristan had always been clever, avoiding the spotlight of his field so he could work unhindered, helping pass and prevent laws from coming and going through MACUSA.

“He’s sneaky as hell,” Kay added brightly. “He must be wanting to beat us, to get Newt to like him best.”

“Why?” Newt looked confused.

“Because you’re lovely,” Kay winked. “And mother adores you already, she’s excited you’re thinking to join the family, we all are.”

“I’m glad, I’m not used to being part of a large family.”

“You’ll like it, you’ll have a whole group of brothers now.”

Newt smiled, glancing at Theseus. The tom didn’t look worried, more at ease with the thought than Percival expected.

“I agree. I also don’t doubt that your new mother-in-law will be just as protective as our mum is.”

Kay smirked wider, not intimidated at all.

“Don’t misunderstand, I do mean what I say. I’m excited to see my grumpy brother married and have more family, we need more kittens around here.”

Newt smiled more surely, petting his heat kitten.

“I’d like to meet yours one day.”

“You will, once your heat is done and you won't steal them and tuck them in your room for safety,” Kay teased gently.

“I wouldn’t steal them, I’d ask first,” Newt protested and Kay grinned, clearly pleased with Newt’s genuine interest in his children.

“They’re a bit wild, the group that lives with me, I try my best and they're good kittens were it matters. I’ve the four queens and one Tom.” He explained, taking on a genuine delight. Percival realized for the first time how little his brother talked about his kittens to him. Not unkindly, but Percival supposed he didn’t ask much of them beyond their general health and what not. He didn’t know them as well as he could. Percival suddenly felt like a terrible uncle and shit brother. Kay working to raise a family on his own in a city only he lived by himself with the rest of their siblings scattered over America.   

“You should consider moving back to New York,” he blurted and Kay looked startled.

“I mean, mother would be in fits of happiness. And one day perhaps, your kittens could grow up alongside mine.”

“Yes,” Newt agreed happily and Kay smiled for him, glancing at Percival curiously.

“I was just thinking,” Percival stumbled a bit, needing to cover his outburst now. His mind leaning towards love and family more these days. “We’ve been looking for a few business workers to hire on, I’d been meaning to ask you.”

“Yes, you mentioned it weeks ago,” Newt agreed easily, wearing an easy smile as he lied bluntly. He seemed to realize Percival was floundering and picked up his nonsense smoothly. “It would be nice, you’re mother and father do miss you and wish they could see their grand kittens more.”

Kay looked thrown with it all, glancing between them both with a bewildered expression.

“To be fair,” Theseus said slowly, watching them all. “One of them is in heat and the other is heat drunk, so if there a little weird, just accept it.”

Kay chuckled them, relaxing and Theseus smirked at Percival to let him know he owed him.  

 

Newt’s heat finally finished and Percival’s brain seemed to wake up properly. He found himself less fixated on the queen, but still just as smitten with him. With the end of his heat, they began to court once more, going on chaperoned dates together. They were also left alone for bits of time to talk privately, Theseus never too far.

They rarely did much talking however.

Newt pressed his soft perfect mouth to Percival’s again, the queen welcoming as Percival pressed him against the wall and kissed him again and again. As if they were young things, stolen kisses and wandering hands. But it was all new to Newt and so Percival didn’t want to rush anything.

He could hear faint footsteps outside the room but they had a bit more time before they would be interrupted.

Percival pushed over a vase in the hallway via magic to cause a distraction just so he could press another lingering kiss to Newt’s sweet mouth. The queen smiled and flushed, knowing exactly what had happened as he nuzzled in close to Percival.

“Only a few more months,” Percival breathed. They had to court a minimum of four months before they could marry and it had always seemed so reasonable. But now it felt far too long as he pressed his body against Newt and just wanted the queen so damn badly. They’d known each other over far longer and had been slowly drifting together for months already. Percival was sure of this queen.

Newt hummed happily against his mouth.

“You seem so sure I’ll accept?” He muttered with a teasing look about him.

“You’d better,” Percival growled and Newt muffled a laugh as Percival kissed his neck in punishment.

“Do you think we’re rushing? Theseus is worried we are.” Newt spoke softly as he tipped his head to let Percival have more room, singing softly at the feeling.

“A bit, but I’m sure already. I’ve never met anyone like you, someone who...fit so well with me, in all ways,” Percival confessed, pressing their bodies closer.

“I agree, you’re such a wonderful tom,” he pressed light kisses to Percival’s cheek, looking so fine and utterly perfect.

“Yes well,” Theseus sighed and Newt jumped, pushing Percival away guiltily. The tom huffed out but went, stepping back and glaring at the man in the doorway.

“I did tell you Newt would be a virgin bride,” Theseus reminded without shame.

“Stop trying to be the bigger cat,” Newt scolded them both, walking back to the small table set for two with tea and finger sandwiches. His tail swung as he walked and Percival was distracted but the way his backside looked so lovely.

“You could attempt to pretend you're not lusting like a dog,” Theseus offered and Percival shrugged in callous reply. Theseus was opening up a bit more with him, getting on better these last month. They could tease one another without any real offence of late. Kay had made a true effort to welcome Theseus into the family and was happy to scheme with him. Most of Percival’s brothers were delighted with Newt’s purity and pledged to help Theseus keep him that way. The bastards.  

“With the way you two are carrying on, you’ll trigger a flash heat and then you’ll be sorry.”

“I would have already,” Newt replied lightly, biting into a sandwich. “It’s been two months now since my heat.”

Theseus sighed out in reply and then looked hesitant and guilty, Newt’s ears swivelling to focus on him with worry.

“Is something wrong?”

“I’ve meaning to tell you, I’ll be leaving next week. I was denied any more time off.” Theseus had booked time to stay in America when the delegation when back a month ago, Percival had been expecting this for a bit now. He was honestly surprised Theseus had gotten as much time off as he had already.  

“I’ve written mum about it and she’s agreed to come and look after you in my stead.”

Newt smiled happily and then glanced at Percival and gave him a sad look.

“I’m afraid our days of getting away with kisses is coming to an end.”

Theseus hummed in pleased agreement.

“I wish I could stay, just to watch her tear you apart.”

“She won’t be so bad,” Newt disagreed and his brother snorted, smirking at Percival in a worrying way.

“We'll see,” he simply said, tone far too sweet.

 

Percival wasn’t sure what he expected, but the severe queen who arrived wasn’t it at all. Both Newt and Theseus were well mannered and polite, more prone to smiles than frowns. Their mother had a bit of their looks, copper hair and high cheekbones. But her feline ears and tail were grey with black marks. She wore a constant frown and had hard eyes.  

She did not like Percival at all.

“Mum,” Newt asked, tugging her hand when she first met Percival and proceeded to glare him down silently. “Please.”

“Very well, who is this tom then?”

The word ‘tom’ had an edge to it, something between distaste and distrust.

“Percival Graves, a great auror and important man, a good man.” Newt introduced, offering Percival a shy smile. “We’ve been courting for almost three months, we took a break when I went into heat.”

“When you found out about his affair you mean,” his mother corrected, sharp eyes cutting to her son.

“That was a lie, a cornered queen making a poor choice. Percival is a good tom, his mother would never let him be anything less.”

That seemed to give the cold queen a pause.

“Mum, be nice, I wouldn’t court lightly,” Newt reminded gently and the queen sighed but allowed a bit of tension to leave her shoulders.

“I will try, for you my darling,” she assured Newt, pulling him in to press a light kiss on his cheek. “My darling queen.”

True to her word, Elizabeth did make a point to have civil conversations with Percival. But it was also clear that she wouldn't be giving him a measure of trust for a very long time.

Their moments alone to trade kisses and soft touches disappeared, Newt’s mother always with them when they visited each other.

“She won’t be having you playing with her son’s heart,” Percival’s mother supposed. “Give her time and don’t be rude. I’ll see if I can warm her up.”

Percival was already unfailingly polite, even when the queen was short with him. Newt ever thankful and apologizing for his mother.

“She has a bias and I’ve told her she needs to be better,” he explained, looking so worried.

“It’s fine, well make her see in time. For now, I just miss a few moments alone with you.” Percival explained. They were walking in the park with both mothers trailing after them, just out of hearing but stepping back in every moment or so.

Newt smiled softly, cheeks going a bit pink.

“I agree,” he replied softly, looking so shy and stunning.

“Shall we head back soon?” His mother called to them and Percival sighed out.

“Yes mum,” Newt replied back, taking Percival's hand and squeezing it encouragingly.

 

It was a bit underhanded.

But Percival made some work arrangements.

“I’ve been asked to advise for the new magical creature program!” Newt cheered, ears perked up high in excitement. They were out a cafe with their mothers, sipping tea and coffee under the afternoon sun.

“That's wonderful,” his mother told him, watching Newt’s excitement fondly. The stern queen only seemed to soften around her son, a gentleness coming over her as she looked at Newt.

“It could help you begin your work in New York, to establish yourself,” Percival’s mother added, smiling easily as if she didn’t know anything. Percival didn’t doubt for a moment that she realized already. Percival was part of the council currently working to develop the new department.

 

“Oh, I had wondered,” Newt greeted him a week later when Percival came by his new office.

“To be fair, I only suggested your name. You were chosen fairly but to be honest there aren’t many magizoologists in New York that have multiple MACUSA members vouching for them.”

“Multiple?”

“Congratulations!” Tina cheered as she came in with a small potted plant. The vines seeming alive as they crept lazily.  

“Thank you,” Newt smiled shyly, but looked so pleased and Tina smiled at him warmly.

“Queenie and Jacob send their regards. Credence as well. We’ll take you out to dinner this weekend, in proper celebration.”

“You don’t have to,” Newt protested.

“We want to, it’ll be fun. We’ll find a nice place or we can stay in and Queenie can cook up a feast, let us treat you.”

Percival watched the two go back and forth, genuinely happy to see newt had made a good friend. Tina was the good sort as well, she wouldn’t be using Newt or end up getting him into trouble.

“You should come as well,” she offered to him and Percival nodded in agreement.

“I’d be delighted,” he reassured her and smiled charmingly at Newt.

“I suppose so, something small though?”

“Of course, the last thing we want is to overwhelm you. Just us, Mr.Graves, and you and your mum?”

Newt nodded.

 

Everything seemed to be going so well, proceeding as it should. Newt’s mother doesn’t like Percival but she’s not protesting the courting or trying to stop it. Percival’s family adores Newt already and are all excited to welcome him into the family. Newt’s new job is working well and lets Percival visit him at lunch for some stolen kisses.

He should have realized it was going too well.

The trouble begins with Newt dedicating himself a little too much to his new position. Wanting to go looking for reports of a giant man-eating spider in the more unruly areas of New York.

“I could have come alone,” Newt insisted softly, Percival walking with him down shady streets with eyes on them every step.

“I know, I preferred to give you some backup just in case. And besides, we can head over to Tina’s together after and still be on time.”

Newt huffed, eyeing Percival but ultimately letting him be a bit overbearing.

“There are rules about this, about always going with a partner and you’re not going to be exempt from them. You’ll have to bring an auror with you for dangerous situations.”

“I’m more than capable of doing this on my own, I have for many years.”

“I don’t doubt that. But New York isn’t just magical creatures, it’s no maj and dark wizards and all sort of other messes just waiting to happen.” Percival tried to keep himself polite and not let his worry for Newt make him sound rude. “I know you’re able to look after yourself and a brilliant magizoologist.”

“Then trust me, having some auror chasing me won’t be a great help.”

“It’s not about trust, it following the rules, and being safer because you did so,” Percival insisted and Newt huffed out at him, shaking his head.

He stopped mid-step and was suddenly down a dark alleyway, creeping soundlessly after something. Percival followed, pulling his wand and ready for anything.

Newt inspected the wall critically, carefully pulling a strand of silky string from the old brick.

“Oh, there is most certainly an acromantula around here,” he breathed, looking excited more than worried.

“There’s an actual giant people-eating spider?”

Newt nodded, looking up along the rooftops with speculation.

“Wizards use them to guard things, it’s not uncommon for them to wander off when the wizard dies or the spells keeping them trapped fade. In a city this big, the poor beast is likely confused and can’t find anywhere to go.”

“Is it eating people?”

“Stray cats and dogs more likely. Humans would be a large meal. Unless they’re an older and much larger spider. Or a family unit.”

“And no one has realized this?” Percival felt frustration welling that such a thing could be in his city unchecked.

“It’s likely been there for years, the city, any large city, is filled with magical creatures, just as it is wizards and witches. They hide just as carefully as we do. Acromantula are very stealthy for their size, most prey likely has no idea they’re there. They don’t need to feed very often so the disappearances wouldn’t be common if they are eating people. They likely avoid magical beings as well, knowing muggles are easier prey.”

Newt didn’t look remotely squirmish, talking about people being eaten by some beast that could be looming overhead of them in the shadows.

“Let’s see if we can find a trail, it must be hiding somewhere small and narrow I imagine. Between building perhaps.”

And that was how Percival found himself crammed against Newt between filthy buildings, layers of dirt and grim rubbing on their clothing. Newt was unaffected, far too interested in the marks on that wall the could have been made by the beast. Percival was not going to be the one to complain about getting dirty but it was utterly disgusting really.

“Look at these grooves in the grime on the wall, they’re consistent with acromentula tracks, and a rather larger one.”

“How large,” Percival leaned in, pressing his chest snuggly to Newt’s back to inspect the marks. “It this creature a danger?”

“I imagine if it was out and about tonight, it’s already eaten so the danger at the moment is rather low,” Newt figured, pressing back into Percival’s chest. His tail curling up his thigh in a scandalous way, they were far too close together.

“Tell me Mr. auror. Shall we go back and find reinforcements and chance we lose the trail or continue onward?”

“You seem so shy and meek. Really you’re a cheeky thing,” Percival replied, reaching a hand to squeeze Newt’s hip in teasing. “Let's see if we can find this fellow.”

“It’s more likely to be female, they’re the larger of the gender,” Newt replied, ear perked forward as he wiggled down the rest of the narrow way.

“Why can’t we apparate?”

“It’ll spook, they pick up on magic easily.”

Percival followed Newt. The evening was a hot one and he never minded before but now he wished for a quick cooling spell with all the layers he had on.

They wandered down empty alleys and abandoned buildings, everything just screaming of danger and not a good place to be as the sun faded.

“Light spell?”

“Nonsense, we’ll never see it then. We need confirmation,” Newt whispered, eyes on the walls and steps careful. He was very impressive really, moving with such care without magic to help him. Spotting scratches from the beast among hundreds of marks on the buildings. Newt truly was very good at his job.

When he froze, Percival crept carefully up behind him as Newt peered around a corner. Tail lashing as he stood still. Percival pressed to his Newt’s back and looked as well. There was a rather large dark spider down the way. The size of a fire hydrant, huge but not as large as he had feared.  

“Not a people-eater?” He asked softly, Newt’s eat flicking before he shook his head in negative, eyes locked on his prey. His wand was in hand and he seemed to be waiting, watching the creature scuttle about in a corner.

After a moment, it suddenly shuffled and dug into the dirt, going into a tiny burrow.

“I knew it!” The queen whispered in sudden excitement. “I was sure they had dens, books claim they live on their webs but that’s nonsense. They have burrows, this is proof!”

Newt was jubilant, swishing his wand to cast a spell, a magical shield covering the opening of the burrow.

“What if there’s another way out?”

Newt shook his head. “The spell blocks them, it’s essentially a large ball around the beast, but buried in the earth so it doesn't panic. It’ll think it’s trapped but feel safer in its home than just a cage.”

There was a skip in his step as Newt knelt hurriedly in the dirt and composed himself before leaning to take a quick peek.

“What a beauty,” he breathed, tail up high and rump on display as he bent over.

Newt was a gorgeous queen and always had been, Percival had lusted for him for months already. But tight then he couldn’t look away from Newt’s backside pressing against his trousers, something about the sight captivating. His mouth felt very dry suddenly.

“I’ll have to get her back into my office and start researching the best way to get her to a proper jungle where she belongs,” Newt explained, sitting up and turning to smile at Percival.

“I’m so glad we found her first, no aurors trying to splatter her dead.”

Percival blinked, nodding his head.

“I’m glad as well,” he agreed weakly and Newt stood up, reaching for him and pulling Percival into a rough kiss.

“We did it,” the queen grinned against his mouth, smiling as he dropped quick kisses all over Percival's face. “My first creature found and saved in New York.”

“You were amazing,” Percival agreed, stepping close and pushing Newt against the wall, nuzzling his neck.   

“I didn’t even need backup,” Newt teased and Percival huffed, biting at his neck lightly in rebuff. His fingers pulled Newt’s tie loose and his shirt button open so he could reach more creamy skin.

“I truly don’t doubt that you can mind yourself, I just prefer you have someone if you need them. You can’t tell me you’ve never been in a situation were backup would have helped.”

Newt huffed but seemed to give in a bit, tipping his head so Percival could suck a nice dark love bite there. The queen's clever hands had already undone his vest and shirt, those fingers against Percival's bare skin as they explored.

“Perhaps. But I still am capable and well suited for this job,” Newt insisted and something in his tone made Percival catch on.

“Did someone claim otherwise?” Percival pulled back, rubbing his cheek on Newt’s affectionately. “Are you being treated poorly?”

Newt shook his head, biting his lip when Percival cupped his pert arse and lifted the queen up a bit, letting him lift his long legs around Percival’s middle.

“People just doubt me a bit, think I was given the position because of you and not because I would do well.”

“Nonsense, I love you Newt, adore you utterly. But if you were crap at it, I’d never have suggested you.”

“Really?” Newt looked touched, peering at Percival. He cupped his face and pet the side of Percival’s head fondly. “You mean that?”

“Of course. MACUSA is only as strong as it’s people. I’d never put someone poorly suited into an important role. If you were bad at your job, I’d never hire you.”

Newt smiled sweetly, leaning down to kiss Percival.

“You’re such a darling,” he breathed against his mouth, shivering as Percival pressed his erection against the queen’s backside. “Will you take me? Please?”

“I’d love to,” Percival purred, aching to be in Newt, he smelt so divine. The call of him making Percival’s mind clouded with lust.  

He fumbled to undo Newt’s shirt and finally see his creamy skin. It looked as fine as he had dreamed, pretty freckles and proud scars from his years of working with deadly creatures. So uniquely Newt in a way that Percival adored. He just had to taste him, leaning in and running his tongue just under his neck as Newt arched into his mouth. Hands cupping Percival's head as he set Newt down onto his feet once more and then dropped onto his knees before him. There was a heat coming off the queen, his skin shining with sweat in the weak light as Percival licked at the spot right above his trouser belt.

He twisted Newt around, making him face the wall as his magic undid the queen’s pants and that perfect ass was finally on display for Percival.

Newt was dripping with slick, the scent of it amazing and Percival just had to taste it, he couldn’t go on not knowing how the queen tasted. Newt slapped a hand over his mouth, muffling his sweet moans as Percival tasted him, licking over his pink hole. It was as delectable as Percival expected and more. His cock was throbbing in his pants and the way that Newt was swinging his hips, pushing back at him was driving him half mad.

Staggering to his feet, Percival fumbled to get his own pants open.

Newt watched over his shoulder, staying in place, purring heavily as his tail swung. It thumped against Percival’s chest eagerly, rubbing affectionately.

Nuzzling his neck fondly, Percival stepped in close, lining himself up. Newt whimpered, tensing a bit as the head of his cock rubbed over that tight hole.

“S’ok,” Percival reassured, voice rough and a bit of a purr in his throat. Newt was purring heavily, eyes heavy-lidded as he looked back at Percival.

“Trust me,” he insisted, pressing his fingers in the hot slick and pushing his cock more insistently. The little opening tried to keep him out but Percival refused to be denied. Slowly putting more weight on Newt’s body and pinning him to the wall.

He could feel the give beginning, Newt moaning out as Percival finally began to sink into him. The queen trembled, clawing at the wall a bit as Percival kissed his neck lovingly. But when the burn of his first time began the queen tried to escape. Percival's teeth sank into his skin on instinct, biting down to keep his mate in place. Newt whimpered but gasped out as the tom sank into his body, the pressure and heat maddening.

“P-Percy,” Newt cried out, and the tom eased back before shoving home again carefully, pushing Newt against the wall. Keeping a hold on his neck with his teeth, Percival began rocking into the queen, mind half lost in the friction and glorious sensation. The queen whined out with each motion and the pain in his voice began to fade, pleasure swiftly taking over.

Newt’s one hand reached for the tom, finding Percival’s wrist and digging his claws in as he held on tightly. Newt was moaning so loudly after a few rough thrusts, the sound echoing as he sobbed out, clearly liking his first time.

Percival let his neck go and kissed the red mark in apology as he kept moving, pushing into his queen, pressing himself deep.

Fucking his darling.

Newt turned his head, cheek scraping in the brick and Percival nuzzled him lovingly. He reached to slip his hand between Newts head and the wall even as he rammed into him. Pressing his head to Newts as he lunged into the queen. He wanted to take more time, but he had to breed Newt. It was everything to breed him. Newt had to be filled up, had to grow heavy with Percival’s kittens. Nothing else would ever be acceptable.

Newt nipped at Percival's jaw, purring heavily, broken with throaty moans as he was taken.  

Percival growled in reply, feeling that pleasure begin to rise up. He slammed in faster, rushing to finish as Newt cried out, tail lashing against the tom. Percival bit at his neck again, driven to pin the lovely queen down, to hold him and make him take it.

He came with a shudder, like nothing before. He had never know heat sex could feel like this. Something utterly addictive, a bone-deep feeling of satisfaction that went beyond mere lust. Newt came with him, pushed over because Percival had finished, mating couples always finished together.

Heat partners always ended in union.

They both panted out in the aftermath, gasping in air and still locked intimately. Percival relaxed slowly, very carefully letting go of Newt. He had him in a tight grip and pinned to the unyielding wall. Slowly he made himself push away a bit. He came free from Newt, cock falling as the queen turned in his arms.

Newt’s eyes were still glazed, his pupils blown wide. He peered back at Percival, still dragging in uneven breathes.

“We should do that again,” he suggested and Percival nodded his head immediately, pressing in close and scenting his queen.

“I think so,” Percival rumbled.

“Come on then,” Newt urged, pulling Percival close to him once more.  

They mated twice again, right there against a filthy wall like animals. Newt was exhausted after his third time and it was enough to make Percival want to take him somewhere safe to rest. Enough to make his mind realize they were out of control. But while he could see that, Percival was long too far gone to stop.

The spider was brought with them, Newt refusing to leave the ‘poor thing’ behind where it might be hurt. Percival didn’t have enough of a mind to protest. He apparated them all back directly into his house.

His brother Kay was there unexpectedly, jumping up from a chair he had clearly been waiting in.

“What happened? Everyone is panicking because you two skipped some dinner and-”

He cut off, scenting the air and Percival snarled at him for it. He was scenting Newt, his queen.

Kay put his hands up in submission and stepped back quickly, eyes wide.

“He’s in heat!”

Percival frowned at his sibling, knowing it was true and that there was something more to it. But common sense was far away. Percival felt a bit drunk, clutching Newt’s hand tightly.  

“Take care of the spider,” he commanded his brother.

“Don’t hurt her!” Newt called as Percival led him down the hallway to his bedroom by the hand, the queen following eagerly. “Make sure she’s comfortable and eats if she’s hungry!”

The bedroom door slammed shut behind them, wards locking the door securely as Percival urged Newt onto the bed and followed him. He was quickly pulling at Newt’s clothing, everything half undone and rumpled. That feral thing in Percival was only satisfied when Newt was naked and in his bed, yawning as he snuggled into the pillows.

Percival ignored the knocking at his door, a wave of magic silenced his family's voices and he curled up with his pretty queen, utterly content.

They mated throughout the days, Newt tired quickly after a few rounds but accepted each union. More than once the queen was only half awake, purring softly as Percival gently sank into him and rocked in that sweet slick body.

“You’ll have the prettiest kittens,” Percival told his queen. “I just know you will.”

Newt whimpered in reply.

Other times he was more awake and eager, riding Percival and crying out, howling almost. His claws left long passion-red marks on Percival, marking him as his own. Newt was half wild and Percival loved it. Loved wrestling and pinning his mate into the bed, holding him and coming as deeply as he could in him. Breeding this perfect queen up.

That was all that truly mattered.

 

Percival woke after days of mating with a painful hunger in his belly. It was morning, the sunlight coming in through the windows. Newt was curled up in his arms and the bed was a mess, blankets and pillows were torn, feathers everywhere. The heavy scent of sex drenching the room and the both of them. Percival was grimy with sweat and his mouth needed to be cleaned out immediately. He staggered to his feet, fumbling to the bathroom to clean his face and rinse his mouth.

He looked blearily back into his bedroom, Newt curled up under the torn blanket, fast asleep. Covered in mating bites and light scratches. A queen very thoroughly mated.

There was no way he wasn’t with kittens.

Percival smirked in satisfaction at the idea but it slowly faded as common sense began to seep back into his thick idiot skull.

Newt had a flash heat, a sudden unexpected heat. They could sometimes happen when a queen didn’t share their heat but was in close proximity to a tom afterwards. Usually, there were warning signs however.

They had mated. Percival had shared Newt’s heat.

Oh god.

Percival dressed quickly, wanting to reach and wake Newt but he looked so serene. Why wake him now when it was far too late. Better to let him sleep and rest.

Percival’s house was all carefully warded, each room made to be defensible if he were to ever be attacked. His bedroom, where he slept each night, even more so.

He opened to door and found Tristan settled down comfortably reading a book. There was a plush chair and small table set up outside the door that hadn’t been there before. Clearly they had been waiting for the heat to end, unable to enter the room that was warded to high hell and back.

“Eat something and then shower, you reek so badly, I really mean that.”

“What have I done?” Percival croaked out, humiliation and shame flooding him.

“In the grand scheme? Not much. You’ll be marrying him sooner than expected but you already wanted to marry him. It could have been a queen you didn’t love,” Tristan offered, picking up a plate with a large meat-packed sandwich and floating it to Percival. His stomach growling in delight.

“Seriously Percival, you smell, really, really bad. Please go shower. The smell of you and sex will haunt me.”

Shamed, he went.

Percival went back and forth between hating himself and rationalizing Tristan was right as he showered off. He had intended to marry Newt already, this was unplanned but also with the queen he loved. But still, they had been caught up in a heat craze.

Percival had taken Newt’s virginity in a filthy alleyway against a wall like a beast.

He towelled off, wrapping it around his waist as he left the bathroom adjoining his bedroom. Voices sounding once the shower was off that alerted him Newt was awake.

“So then we started buying live rabbits and she was much more happy to eat them. Theseus named her Mary, she’s very nice considering she’s a giant spider,” Tristan explained. He was leaning on the door jam, not in the room. Still, Percival felt something dark rise in him, glaring at the tom watching his queen. The heat still lingering on his brain.

Newt was covered in the blanket, it was pulled up over his shoulders and hiding his pretty skin. He had a plate of cheese, meats, and crackers and was eating eagerly. Sipping a tall glass of water floating beside him.

He looked so lovely. So perfect all sleep mused and cheeks full of food.

Newt looked to Percival as he came in, face flushing red and eyes darting away from his partially nude body.

“A bit late for modesty,” Tristan teased.

Percival waved a hand and the door closed on his face.

“That was r-rude,” Newt muttered as Percival came and sat on the side of the bed.

“He was being an ass, teasing you. Besides, it’s normal for toms to feel possessive,” Percival defended gently, peering at Newt as he stared down at the plate in his lap shyly.

“Are you ok?”

Newt nodded his head.

“I think so, I’m a bit...sore and I smell awful, but otherwise…”

Percival nodded, sighing out.

“This was...unexpected,” he offered and Newt huffed, ears flicking as he nodded.

“V-Very much so, I had no idea. That I was sinking into another heat. I should have known.”

“I should have been able to tell as well,” Percival added, not liking the self-disdain in Newt’s tone.

“But here we are.”

Newt nodded again, still not looking at Percival. It bothered him terribly and he reached out, gently tipping Newt’s chin up so he finally looked at Percival, face flushed.

“Tristan said it was fine,” Newt confessed, tone worried that Percival might disagree. “That we were on this road already and that while we rushed, we were always going to find ourselves here.”

“He’s right,” Percival soothed, Newt looked ready to cry. He silently thanked his brother for helping to calm the poor queen down. Newt would have woken alone and wondered what would happen with Percival in the shower. He should have waited, should have woken the queen. Newt had such a bad history with being used and discarded, raised to fear it and some callous school tom doing it to him.  

Reaching out, Percival called a small box from his dressing table. Moving closer to Newt, he showed him the contents, a plain gold ring.

“I thought you wouldn’t like anything flashy, it’s charmed as well, in case you misplace it or more likely, a niffler snatches it.”

Newt peered down at the engagement ring for a long moment, Percival feeling nervous.

“I bought it a month ago, I wanted to wait longer to be reasonable, but I’ve been certain for a long while now.”  

Chewing his lip, Newt took the ring out, inspecting it.

“I can get a different one, something more expensive and fine if you’d prefer.”

Newt stared at the ring.

“Newt?”

The queen finally blinked and looked up at Percival, smiling brightly.

“It’s perfect.”

 

They married in a small ceremony. It was a rushed wedding in a sense, hoping to be married before Newt beings to show. But it was also a wedding out of love and not duty.

Newt’s mum was livid with Percival and narrow-eyed at him the entire time leading up. as if he might run off just before the wedding. He can’t fault her for it either, letting a heat overtake him like some young idiot tom. But he knew there was nothing he could say or do that would convince her he intended to honour Newt but actually do so. It might take years before she believed him, but Percival will prove himself eventually. He can’t change her mindset and it would be a foolish thing to attempt so he focused on his bride. Newt was happy with him and for his mother’s suspicion, he trusted Percival’s intentions and love.

That was more than enough for Percival.

Perhaps a tiny base part of him smirked a touch at how annoyed Theseus was with him. Seething to learn Newt spent his heat with him before marriage. The string of his disapproval was lacking however, because Theseus was also sure of Percival and his dedication.

 

“I can’t wait to tell stories to your kittens. When their teenagers and acting reckless, I’ll tell them this story, of their daddy getting frisky and accidentally making them a few years too early.” Kay smirked and Percival shot him a dark look.

“You realize it’ll be your kids that are teenagers long before mine? And I know far more dirty stories about you?”

“You’re too proper to tell them such a terrible story,” Kay teased.

“I’m not,” Lamorak cut in and Kay’s expression soured.

“Dirty play,” he grumbled but let their brother shoo him from the small room. He waved as he went himself and left Percival with a single sibling now.

Bedivere straightened Percival’s suit coat and brushed a bit of imaginary dust away.

“It’s time. I never thought you’d marry before me, to be honest.”

“By a few months,” Percival snorted. The whole mess with his secretary sorted out now. Bedivere was making Sophia his business partner as well as his wife. Truly meaning it when he said she was vital to his company and never wanting anyone to think anything else. Making them proper equals as they prepared to marry and start a life together.

“Well, I figured it would be Lamorak to settled next but I’m thinking it might be Tristan,” Bedivere divulged. Percival was glad for the distraction as they left the little room and walked down the short hall to the chapel. His nerves were starting to bite at him and Percival was usually immune. But he was about to marry Newt, about to make the darling queen his wife. He had no idea how he’d done it.

“Oh, marrying his approved queen is he?”

“Oh no, he politely ended that last month.”

Percival tilted his head in surprise, he hadn’t known that.

“He’s been working hard to keep it all under wraps but he’s giving himself away already. Take a glance at who he keeps looking at when you see him.”

They entered the main room then, the priest waiting and gesturing for Percival to take his place. In larger parties, people stood with them, but with such a small group they decided only Newt and Percival would stand before the priest, the others sitting and witnessing. Newt’s mum and brother and Percival’s parents and siblings there along with Tina and her brother, sister, and sister’s husband, and finally Seraphina. It was more than enough, a nice intimate thing rather than something turned into a political event.

Percival stood with the priest and glanced over the group, a bit surprised to see Tristan glancing at Tina’s younger brother, the queen watching his lap intently. But something about him suggesting he was aware of the gaze on him.

That was unexpected, Credence was a nice boy but he had many issues and didn’t seem suited for a politician's wife at all.

It must be a love match.

Percival felt a happiness stir in his heart at the idea. Tristan should have a queen he loved rather than one well suited to his career. Though Percival didn’t doubt he would have a challenge with a protective Tina and Queenie. A mind reader would be a nightmare for a chaperone.

A soft wedding song began and Percival was thoroughly distracted as his own bride walked down the little aisle, smiling shyly.

He looked so lovely, his nervous eyes falling onto Percival and keeping his gaze as he walked to him.

His wife, the mother of his kittens.

Percival’s heart was pounding.

He felt light-headed and wouldn’t it be his luck if he fainted, his brothers would be set for life on material to tease him with.

But Newt was worth any price.

 

Percival wasn’t sure what he expected from being married. He did understand that they weren’t on the usual pace with Newt already expecting, no time to really learn to live together. They settled into Percival’s house and were spending half their time adjusting to living with each other and the other half preparing for kittens. But they did the best they could, even as they dealt with the troubles.

“Honestly Newt, why can’t you just cage him?”

“Hennimore is a living creature, not a, a, vase on a shelf! I won’t stuff him in a box because he made a few mistakes!”

“My office is a mess, there’s nothing of value in it either! Just paperwork I’m going to have to spend hours charming clean and back into pristine condition because I can’t show up at work with ruined documents and explain a three-legged niffler was looking for shiny shit!”

Percival growled out in frustration, running his hand through his hair as he waved his wand to work on cleaning the ruined office. This was the fourth time now.

Newt stood in the doorway, his pest snuggled to his chest. The swell of a pregnant belly showing prominently now on the queen.

“He’s a beast, he doesn’t know better,” Newt insisted and Percival glared at the niffler. The little bastard was far too pleased with itself to be innocent. It knew what it was doing, Percival was certain of that much.

“I need to clean this all up, please just...put him back in the suitcase and tighten the wards,” Percival made himself say politely. Yelling would solve nothing and his frustration wouldn’t help the matter. It was hard to argue with Newt as he was, his stomach growing more each day. His poor feet swollen up and his back aching. He had four months left still and the healers suggested his aches and pain would only grow. To add to it, Newt could no longer get into his suitcase. They had ended up charming a door into a way in and out of it. Newt didn’t worry about his waistline but he was begging to struggle to keep up with his usual active pace.

It was just paperwork, in the end, Percival told himself once Newt was gone and he’d had time to sulk angrily in his office. He had already gotten into the habit of leaving anything genuinely important at work. Percival took his time cleaning up the mess, calming himself down and beginning to feel foolish for letting himself get so upset at his queen. It was aggravating but Newt was heavy with kittens and fighting was only more stress on him. But he was horribly lax with his beasts, more so the long-term ones, and it drove Percival up the wall to have the house constantly damaged by them. Still, Percival’s father warned him kittens would be worse, that Percival and his brother had wreaked havoc on their childhood house a thousand times over. At least then they would be his own children and his heart would forgive more easily he hoped. But to Newt, the creatures were like children to him. Percival went back and forth, trying to accept his mate for his faults and knowing there were some things about Newt that would never change.

Percival sighed out and finished cleaning up the office until it looked less like a hurricane had blown through.   

 

Newt was in bed already but sitting up waiting for him, he never liked to leave things with anyone upset. It worried him too much that resentment would grow and Newt would always want to resolve the issue while Percival would just get madder. He needed a moment alone to calm himself down and they were both learning how to deal with their different methods. Newt would let Percival walk away to ease his anger and Percival would seek Newt out the moment he was ready to so his queen didn’t have to sit and work his anxiety up.

“I’m sorry,” Newt greeted, closing his book and sitting up in bed, pillows propping his changing body comfortably. “My mum and Theseus used to get upset as well, with all my creatures in the house, ruining their things.”  

Percival sighed as he came to his side of the bed and began to change into his night clothing.

“It’s a bit to adjust too, creatures in every cupboard it seems. But it only bothers me when they make such messes.”

“And Hennimore is the worse for it. I do truly try to keep him out, but he found something shiny once in your office and is determined to find more now. I’m sorry that he made such a mess.”

“It’s ok. You didn’t know. He snuck out on the sly again. We just need better wards for the suitcase. Each time we think it’s sealed some creature pops out.”

Percival huffed.

“It’s almost impressive,” he offered and watched Newt nod and smile.

“It really is, they are amazing beasts. And just think, one day you’ll have wards that nothing can pierce.”

“One day,” Percival agreed, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Newt’s hand. Lifting it up so he could press a kiss to it.

“I am sorry,” Newt repeated and Percival kissed his hand again.

“I know. We’ll figure it out. I’ll try leaving out some worthless trinkets to distract him. Perhaps the next time he weasels in he’ll be distracted with them.”

“I was thinking I could spell the rooms to change so he would go into the kitchens instead of your office,” Newt offered. “I just worry I might lose your office.”

“Well, that would be a new one,” Percival chuckled, sliding into bed with his wife.

“We’ll have to work on our wards either way, for these ones,” Newt patted his round stomach absently.

“We will keep their sticky paws from the silverware. Imagine if the niffler teaches them to pocket things.”

“Oh don’t say that, I can’t imagine the mess that would cause.”

Percival chuckled again, the last of his ire fading into fondness as he reached out and rubbed his queen’s pregnant belly lovingly.

 

Newt got...large.

Percival wasn’t dumb enough to ever comment on it but he did notice. The way his queen’s belly filled out so quickly. He wasn’t overeating however, if anything, Percival was pressing more snacks on him. But he was so large so fast it was startling, people often thinking he was due right away rather than two more months to go.

“How many kittens did you put in there?” Kay muttered under his breath. Percival politely elbowed his brother good and hard. His siblings were all visiting along with his parents and Kay’s kittens, the little tom and queens all gathered around Newt to feel the kittens kicking in his belly with awe. They had really taken to Newt and he, in turn, adored his new nieces and nephews. Between them and their mother, Kay was almost convinced to move to New York.

“Newt looks lovely,” Bedivere stated and Kay nodded.

“I didn't say he didn’t, just that he seems to be carrying a hefty litter.”

“The healers will check in a week,” Percival admitted.

“I thought it was supposed to be a surprise,” Tristan asked, all of them settled on a couch together while the kittens and grandparents doted on Newt across the room.

“It was, but he is...clearly carrying many kittens, and the healers want to check to make sure everything is progressing well.”

“There’s no real health issue though?” Kay frowned.

Percival mirrored his worried look.

“Newt’s mother did have a hard birth and Newt’s frame is slight for a large litter. The healer suspected there will be strain.”

Now they were all worried but at least Percival wasn’t alone in it. Newt was certain he would be fine and Percival prayed he would be.

 

“T-twelve?” Percival stared at the healer, jaw a bit slack. “Are you sure?”

“We checked twice to be sure. There are twelve kittens growing away.”

“Oh my,” Newt breathed, rubbing his stomach with a bit of awe. Eight was a large litter, five was a normal size, two a smaller one. But twelve...that was sort of thing that made the local papers.

“Are they all healthy?” Newt added with a worried look. “Large litters...they don’t always fare well do they?”

The healer’s face gave him away, a mix of sympathy and understanding.

“There is no reason you can’t carry them all and have twelve healthy kittens, as long as you're willing to adjust.”

“Adjust?”

 

“Bed rest for a full month and a half?” Theseus looked horrified. “Newt will go mad, he can barely sit still for five minutes.”

“I’ll adjust,” Newt grumbled. “I’ve been meaning to put together a book and this is a perfect time. To organize all my notes and such.”

“Twelve kittens,” Theseus muttered, shaking his head. “Newt, that’s a hell of a litter.” He was in the fireplace, fire calling them from London to hear how the appointment went. Newt was settled in a comfortable chair and preparing to snuggle down into bed for a very long wait for the kittens to come.

“Yes, well, I’ll manage. Bed rest and close care is all I need.”

“We requested a personal healer, a midwife to come stay with us for the last month to help Newt.”

“Sounds expensive.” Newt nodded, he wasn’t comfortable with to cost of such a thing but Percival refused to back down on this.

“It might cost a bit but it’s worth peace of mind,” He insisted.

“No doubt.” Theseus agreed. “It’s worth a healthy litter.” Percival gave Newt a look now and the queen sulked but didn’t protest.

“You do realize mum will be packing her bags the moment she hears this?”

 

Sure enough, Elizabeth arrived a week after and settled into the guest bedroom beside their own. Percival was glad to have her.

“He refused to drink his morning potion, says it upsets his stomach. But then he won’t take a stomach remedy because he thinks too many potions are bad for the kittens. Everything has been cleared by multiple healers but he won’t hear it.”

If she was surprised to be cornered by Percival the moment she left Newt’s side she didn’t show it, taking in everything he was telling her.

“How is his bed rest?”

“Abysmal, I keep catching him out of bed, going to get this or that. He doesn’t want to bother me he says. I’ve hired a house elf specifically to fetch things for him and she's going mental trying to keep him in bed as well. At least I can guilt him a bit over that.”

Elizabeth nodded, seeming to ponder it.

“Twelve kittens,” she mused. Her stern eyes falling on Percival. “You do realize the reality of this?”

Percival looked away. He had immediately researched once he knew, learning everything he could about heavy litters.

“I know, but Newt doesn’t want to hear such things and I won’t force it on him.”

There was little chance all the kittens would survive. It was more than likely Newt would have stillborns.

“No, he wouldn’t. He needs to be positive, he always has. I’ll have him on his potions, he was the same as a kitten himself. You need to bring him more distractions, more visits and if possible an injured creature to tend to, something he can look after in bed though.”

“How will I find that?”

She shrugged in reply. “I’m sure you can if you look hard enough.”

 

Elizabeth reigned terror on the household. Both Newt and his creatures cowed by her as Percival sighed gratefully. He obeyed the queen when she gave him tasks and began taking over caring for the larger of Newt’s creatures and cutting back his work hours to be home more. He set up a rotation schedule of visitors for every day. Someone always coming to sit with Newt a few hours. His siblings or Newt’s little circle of friends, all eager to help.

All of this, with Newt insisting it wasn’t necessary.

“They all have their own lives and you’re work is important,” Newt protested once more when Percival came home at noon and prepared for Tina and Credence to visit.

“My work is aware I am an expecting father and has granted me the time I requested. The others care deeply for you and are happy to spend time with you.” Percival leaned in and kissed his queen’s head softly. It was clear the routine was helping Newt, he seemed more relaxed these days thankfully.

“Now stop complaining and help me plot how to get Tristan and Credence alone.”

Newt blinked, distracted immediately.

“Tristan and Credence? Whatever for?”

“Marriage and babies?” Percival winked as he went to meet their guests when the door rang. Tina looked suspicious, watching Tristian.

“Ah did I double book? My apologies,” Percival lied smoothly. He took their coats and waving to Lilith the house-elf so she knew she could go back to whatever she had been doing before she came to get the door.

“The second time,” Tina pointed out.

“Forgive me if I’m distracted,” he said and the queen let her suspicion go, turning her attention to Percival.

“Is Newt alright?”

“As fit as he can be, still half wild being trapped in a bed.”

“Poor soul,” Tina sighed, letting herself lead the way to the bedroom. Percival followed and let Tristan and Credence trailed after them. The pair talking softly.

Newt was very curious during the visit, but he did a surprisingly good job not being obvious, watching Tristan and Credence interact on the sly.

 

Percival managed to find an injured bowtruckle. He nearly scared the creature department silly when he pounced on the new arrival. Saying Newt specialized in them and would be able to care for it from home. He filled out forms he made specifically for the matter and had Seraphina sign off on them with a smirk.

“Remember to name one of those kittens after me,” she snarked and Percival honestly didn’t care at that point.

Newt was utterly delighted. His mother was a wise woman, a genius. Newt was so glad for something to mind, his nurturing instincts in high drive. There was a sense of serenity around him as he began to assess and care for the little beast.

The pregnant queen seems to settle that last bit and finally stopped fretting so much. He focused everything on calming the creature and coaxing it back to health. He stopped trying to sneak out of bed and at last, was on proper bed rest.

Percival thanked the heavens and felt pleased as punch about it.

Newt was resting and his body was healthy and strong, Meredith, the midwife healer gave him a good outlook.

It seemed like they had an excellent chance of a strong litter of kittens, that they might beat the odds against them.

 

“Percival,” Newt shook his shoulder, waking him up. Percival made himself wake, ready to go fetch whatever his queen needed. He reached out and clicked the bedside light on and turned to Newt and his pillow mountain.

His mate was pale as snow and his hands covered in blood.

Percival shouted down the house, hollering for the healer with all the strength he had.

 

The first thing the midwife did was toss him out of the room, his parents arriving via emergency floo to try and calm him as he paced. Blood on his sleeping shirt and bare hands.

“It’s too soon,” he said again, repeating the words on an endless loop he paced. It was more than a month too soon.

His mom watched him with wide worried eyes and his father paced with him, patting his back every few moments.

Elizabeth strode into the room, her gown far too bloodstained.

“Is he alright?”

She walked right by Percival however, taking a handful of floo powder to make a fire call.

“I need an emergency healer,” she announced, voice uneven despite her calm face.

 

Percival was banned from his own bedroom.

His brothers all began arriving, Theseus coming with a great clatter.

“Where is he?” He cried immediately and Kay had to talk him down, explaining they were performing an emergency birth. Newt was delivering early and they would try and save as many kittens as they could.

“As many as they can,” Theseus repeated in despair. “How many do they think will survive?”

Theseus was plopped down on the couch beside Percival, head in his hands.

His family crammed into a small study and all fretting. Elizabeth looked the most calm but she was wringing her hands red and Percival’s mother was whispering to her softly as they watched the fire together.

Percival watched Hennimore toddle into the room, uncaring if the beast robbed every room at that moment. It chose instead to climb on the couch and plop at Percival's wrist, seeming lost without anyone shouting.

Looking around, looking for Newt.

“He’s not here,” Percival told the beast quietly.

 

Newt survived the delivery.

All twelve kittens were breathing and Percival was the first allowed to see them all. He abandoned everyone immediately, hurrying down the hall to see his queen and children. Their bed was pulled apart, the bed altered so it was more narrow like a healers bed. Newt’s pillows tossed to the floor everything bloodstained. The bed itself was blessedly clean, Newt no longer blood-soaked as he laid back on the bed. He was pale still but he looked so much better, eyes looking around and landing on Percival. Relieved tears filling his eyes and Percival was crying as well at once. Rushing to his side and then with a painful gentleness he took Newt’s hand in his own.

“Hello,” he offered, pressing kissed to Newt’s sweat soaked hair. “Hello, my darling.”

Newt whimpered in answer, head turning as the healers settled the kittens in a special crib, made for those born too early a soft glowing shield around them. Each one encased in their own light, pulsing as it provided for them the care they needed to live on. Helping them breath tiny shuddering breaths.

“You’re very lucky, almost all of them are healthy and have a strong chance,” Meredith explained and Percival’s heart plummeted.

“Almost all of them?”

The old queen smiled sadly. She fetched the tiniest kitten, it's spelled the strongest. With care, she helped Newt take hold of the tiny kitten, barely the size of Percival's hands.

“Eleven queens and this little tom.”

He was so tiny, all wrinkled up and so ugly with his pink squished face. Percival's heart pounded so hard, loving the babe so fiercely at once.  

“What’s wrong with him?”

“His lungs aren’t strong enough, they haven’t developed. We’ve done everything we can,” Meredith explained softly. “But it’s very unlikely he’s going to live through the night.”

Newt’s face crumpled, tears running down his pale face as he sucked in heaving breaths and looked down at the tiny kitten. His tears fell and the shield around the baby stopped them, sliding them to the side.

“N-no,” he moaned out, clutching the kitten tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Meredith said, waving her wand as a gently white mist filled the air and settled over Newt gently. A calming spell.

“There’s nothing to be done?” Percival asked, peering at his son. He was wrapped in a blanket and curled up still, tiny hands to his chest, golden feline ears pressed to his head.

“We’ll try all we can, but he’s very underdeveloped. If he does live the night he will be very touch and go for a long time. The others have a much stronger chance.”

Newt whimpered out, eyes glazed a bit under the spell. He couldn’t stress now, his body couldn’t take it and Percival ran a hand through his hair and kissed his head softly.

“Hush now love,” he whispered to Newt.

“You need to rest,” Meredith explained. “I wanted you to know, but Newt, you need to sleep. Your body is very taxed right now and you must rest to recover.”

Newt shook his head sadly, looking down at their little tom.

Percival hesitated, fingers shaking before he managed to steady them. Reaching out, he carefully took the baby into his own arms.

“I’ve got him Newt, I’m right here, I’ve got him.”

Percival called a chair and settled right beside Newt in his field of vision with the kitten. Silent tears ran down the queen’s face as he peered at their tiny baby. The healer casting a spell to force Newt to sleep, his eyes never straying from their child even as the spell took him under.

Percival settled in the chair and his muscles ached with how little he moved, holding the tiny life in his arms with all the care he had.

People filtered through, his family visiting briefly.

Percival just watched the kitten, so terrified that each little breath would be his last, waiting for that horrible moment. It was a terrible thing, this fear eating away at him, all his being locked on each tiny breath.

The sunlight made him blink up finally, the morning settling on them. Percival’s neck ached and his back strained from sitting in a single position all night.

“He’s strong,” Meredith offered Percival when she came to check, inspecting the kitten still breathing in his arms.

“Will he..?”

“There’s a sliver of a chance now, but it’s still very bleak,” she told him kindly, patting his arm in sympathy.

So Percival held onto his son, determined to keep him in arms until he left the world. There was a tiny sliver of a chance his mind whispered. Percival had always been realistic and pessimistic. But right then his mind rejected statistics and likelihoods, fixating on that tiny sliver. The little precious baby in his arms taking one quivering breath after the other. His little face twitching as the spell breathed for him and fed him what he needed to live on.

They had thought of the name Arthur, for a tom. Nothing had been decided but Percival had liked the idea of it. His little Arthur.

“Hello my boy,” Percival breathed softly to the kitten, looking away momentarily to peer at his other children once more. Eleven queens, five males and six females. Each one lovely and seeming so much bigger and stronger than tiny Arthur.

“That’s ok,” he told his son. “I was the smallest too.”

A tiny sliver of a chance, his mind mumbled at him. A fragile hope beginning to come bloom as Percival sat in the sunlight with his kittens and queen sleeping peacefully around him.

 

“No!” the upset tom cried in utter outrage, clinging to Newt’s leg tightly. “Don’t go, mummy,” he begged with great big tears in his eyes.

Newt sighed, patting Arthur’s head soothingly.

“It’s just for a bit darling,” he reassured but the boy cried louder still.

The queens watched, a few beginning to follow suit with misty eyes. If they lingered much longer they’d have a whole crying lot. Percival plucked his son off his wife’s leg and pressed a kiss to the boy’s hair. Arthur hissed at him, angry at his papa for stealing his beloved mummy.

“We’ll be home when the sun comes up before you know it,” Percival said once more, settling the angry tom into his mother’s waiting arms. She let the spoiled thing cling to her and rocked him as he sobbed mournfully.

“Mummy,” he hiccuped, reaching for Newt who looked sad. He leaned in and kissed the tom one last time.

“Be good for grandma,” Newt told him and the rest of their brood. After much conferring and unasked for family opinions, Newt and Percival had decided on names for the lot a week after they were born. Their tom Arthur, a pouty queen named Sera, and then Greek immortals for the rest. Newt’s mother had wanted to name her litter after the mythological figures but had lost most of them. So Newt decided to fulfill her wish with her grandchildren. Hestia, Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Leto, Hermes, Apollo, Hades, Hera, and Poseidon.

“Bye now,” Percival’s mother waved and a few queens followed suit as Percival led Newt out the front door.

“Well, we might need to leave more often,” Newt sighed forlornly. “We’ve spoiled that tom utterly rotten haven’t we?”

“Our little miracle,” Percival agreed, curling an arm around Newt’s waist and guiding him down the steps.

“It’s only been these last few months that he’s gotten so clingy, he used to love getting attention from everyone.”

Percival hummed in agreement as they started down the street, the evening just settling in.

“Since he decided he would marry you,” Percival pointed out. “He wasn’t begging me not to leave.”

“Oh dear, I really do let him cling too much.”

Percival chuckled, kissing Newt’s cheek lightly.

“It’s fine. Sera threw a great temper tantrum yesterday because ‘the sky wasn’t blue enough’. Kittens have bad moments. We’ll work to separate him more and ease him into being used to you leaving.”

Newt nodded, looking back towards the house.

“I do hope so. Honestly, I travel for work more than you do, but I’m still home more than away. We both are.”

They really were, both keeping their careers but dedicated to their kittens first now. Percival adored spending time with them and even more with his queen and kittens. They had an adorable habit of holding tails, Arthur holding to Newts and one of the queens holding his and so on into a little chain. It was one of the cutest things Percival had ever seen.

“You’re just a lovely queen and no tom can resist you,” Percival explained and Newt huffed out a laugh.

“Honestly Percival.”

“It’s the truth!”

“Tom’s mourned the day I married you. Tina cried into her hat, Kay was never the same, Tristan barely managed to cling to Credence.”

“Don’t be rude,” Newt pushed at his side. “Or I’ll tell on you.”

“Tell away, Tristan and Credence are still panicking over being new parents to care.”

“They really are, Credence keeps fire calling me over diaper rashes and long burps. Where we that bad?”

“Likey far, far, worse. Kay was going mental with having us pester him I've been told.”

“Then he shouldn’t have offered his ‘sage advice’.”

“Shouldn’t have,” Percival agreed pausing as they walked down the street to lean in and kiss Newt properly. No jealous tom kitten there to part them stubbornly and no queens to demand their own kisses from papa. He pulled away and Newt caught his coat lapel, pulling him back in to linger more, kisses growing heated.

“We’re going to be late for dinner and a movie,” Percival mentioned, not really caring.

“That’s fine, let's just get room service at the hotel.”

“Your expecting room service? Some fancy place?”

“I wouldn’t even care if there was a niffler under the bed,” Newt insisted and Percival laughed softly, nuzzling his mate and feeling both soppy and lusty. Five years into their marriage and Percival had never know he could feel so content. So happy to just wake up and greet his family each morning. Even when the kittens were wild and Newt's creatures were running amuck and he was losing his mind, there was no regrets. His perfect family with this queen he had somehow managed to win over.

“I booked the Royal Palace.”

Newt hummed in pleasure. They’d picked up a habit of going to the very hotel Percival had climbed once, years ago, to reach his queen.

“It’s not even our anniversary,” Newt teased, winding his arms around Percival’s neck to pull him in for another long kiss.

“Yes, but they have room service.”

“Smart tom.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Tooth rotting fluff. 
> 
> It was fun to write tho, I had to resist to make it turn suddenly and be all murdery. What is wrong with my brain? Working on others as well a VERY smutty daddy!Percy/boy!Newt fic. All the smut in that one. As well as many others that want attention. Why must we work?! I just wanna stay home and write fic all day. 
> 
> Come hang out with me on  
> [tumblr](https://the-miss-lv.tumblr.com/)  
> !! I do see all your messages and I'm behind on answering yet again. Sorry! ;-;


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